Hamas confirms death of Abu Obeida, introduces new military spokesman
Gaza: Hamas’s armed wing, the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, has officially confirmed the death of its long-time military spokesman Abu Obeida, revealing his real identity for the first time and announcing the appointment of a new spokesman who will use the same nom de guerre.
In a pre-recorded statement aired on Arab media on Monday, the group said that Abu Obeida, whose real name was Huthaifa Samir al-Kahlout, was killed in an Israeli strike on Gaza City in August. While Israel and the Shin Bet had claimed his killing at the time, Hamas had not confirmed the report until now.
The new spokesman, whose identity has not been disclosed, stated that he would continue to operate under the name Abu Obeida. He paid tribute to al-Kahlout, describing him as a key figure in Hamas’s military media apparatus who served the organisation for over two decades.
The statement marked the first official confirmation by Hamas of al-Kahlout’s identity. Throughout his public life, he appeared only with his face covered by a red keffiyeh, earning him the nickname “the masked one” across the Arab world.
The new spokesman also confirmed the deaths of other senior military leaders, including Mohammed al-Sinwar, the former commander of the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, who was killed in May, and Raed Saad, who was killed earlier this month.
Al-Kahlout served as the sole military spokesman of the Qassam Brigades since 2004, delivering televised statements, battlefield updates and announcements during major confrontations with Israel. His profile rose sharply following the Hamas-led attack on Israel in October 2023 and the subsequent Israeli attacks on Gaza.
Little was publicly known about his personal life. In a past interview, he stated that his family had been displaced during the 1948 Nakba and resettled in a refugee camp in the Gaza Strip. Sources within Hamas said only a small number of people were aware of his true identity before his death.
Israel had attempted to assassinate him multiple times over the years. In April 2024, the United States imposed sanctions on him, describing him as Hamas’s “information warfare chief.”
The confirmation of his death comes months after Israeli authorities claimed responsibility, closing a long period of uncertainty surrounding one of Hamas’s most recognisable and influential figures.
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Rupee hits all-time low for second time in a week
Mumbai (PTI): The rupee depreciated 31 paise to settle at 91.99 against the US dollar on Wednesday, touching the lowest closing level for the second time in less than a week, amid increased month-end demand for the greenback.
Forex traders said the rupee opened higher as the US dollar index softened and a long-awaited trade breakthrough with Europe offered quiet reassurance. However, increased month-end demand for the American currency as well as the ongoing geopolitical tensions dented investors' sentiments.
At the interbank foreign exchange, the rupee opened at 91.60 and touched an early high of 91.50, but pared all the gains to touch an intra-day low of 91.99 against the greenback.
The domestic unit settled 31 paise down, revisiting its lowest-ever closing level of 91.99 against the greenback. The Indian currency previously ended at this level on January 23 when it also hit its all-time intraday low of 92 against the US dollar.
On Tuesday, the rupee rebounded from its all-time low levels and gained 22 paise to close at 91.68 against the US dollar.
Analysts said the rupee opened higher as the US dollar index softened and a long-awaited trade breakthrough with Europe bolstered investor sentiment.
India and the European Union on Tuesday announced the conclusion of negotiations for the free trade agreement (FTA), under which a number of domestic sectors such as apparel, chemicals and footwear will get duty-free entry into the 27-nation bloc, while the EU will get access to the Indian market at concessional duty for cars and wines, an official said.
The deal has been dubbed the "mother of all deals" as it will create a market of about 2 billion people.
Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, was trading 0.07 per cent lower at 96.14.
Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, was trading 0.43 per cent lower at USD 67.28 per barrel in futures trade.
On the domestic equity market front, Sensex jumped 487.20 points to settle at 82,344.68, while Nifty surged 167.35 points to 25,342.75.
Foreign Institutional Investors turned net buyers and purchased equities worth Rs 480.26 crore on Wednesday, according to exchange data.
