Al-Qassam Brigades announces the martyrdom of its Chief of Staff, Mohammed Deif

Abu Obeida, spokesman for the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), mourned the Chief of Staff of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, Muhammad al-Deif.

Abu Obeida said in a videotaped speech, "We mourn the martyrdom of the Chief of Staff of the Qassam Brigades, Muhammad Deif, to our great people."

Abu Obeida announced "the martyrdom of a group of senior mujahideen members of the Qassam Military Council."

Abu Obeida explained that the martyrs are: the Chief of Staff of the Qassam Brigades, Muhammad al-Deif, and a number of leaders, most notably Marwan Issa, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Qassam Brigades, the Commander of the Weapons and Combat Services Section, Ghazi Abu Tama’a, the Commander of the Human Resources Section, Raed Thabet, and the Commander of the Khan Yunis Brigade, Rafe’ Salama.

He pointed out that the martyrdom of the commander of the Northern Brigade, Ahmed Al-Ghandour, and the commander of the Central Governorate Brigade, Ayman Noufal, had been announced during the battle.

Abu Obeida stressed that "the martyrdom of our great leaders - despite our great loss - did not and will not weaken the resolve of our battalions and resistance."

He added, "After each of them was martyred during this battle, the resolve of our Mujahideen only grew stronger, thanks to God, and the battles became more fierce and intense, and the Mujahideen fought more valiantly and inflicted more and more damage on the enemy, and their motivation to fight increased in an unprecedented way that the whole world has witnessed, and they still keep their promise and oath."

Abu Obeida stressed that "a leader is succeeded by many leaders, and a martyr is succeeded by a thousand martyrs," emphasizing that "the Qassam system was not exposed to a leadership vacuum for even one hour throughout the Battle of the Flood of Al-Aqsa."