The public appearance of Hussein Fayyad, a senior commander in Hamas' military wing, the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, following the Gaza truce, has stunned Israel’s security establishment.
Eight months earlier, Israel had declared him assassinated.
Fayyad, known by his nom de guerre “Abu Hamza,” was seen addressing residents in the streets of Beit Hanoun, a town in northern Gaza. He spoke about “victory and combat,” a development Israeli officials have described as a “security failure.”
In May, the Israeli army announced his killing and even released a photo purportedly confirming his death.
Sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that the recent video of Fayyad was recorded during the funeral of several fighters from the Beit Hanoun Battalion, who were killed in clashes with the Israeli army.
Among them was a fighter from the Abu Amsha family, who reportedly led an operation that killed Israeli soldiers shortly before the ceasefire came into effect.
Fayyad’s recent appearance sparked controversy in Israel.
His video, which circulated widely on social media, prompted the Israeli army to issue a statement on Wednesday. The military had previously declared Fayyad’s death, claiming he was responsible for multiple attacks, including launching anti-tank missiles and mortars.
However, after further checks, the Israeli army admitted that the intelligence used to confirm his death was not accurate.
As of Thursday afternoon, the statement was only available in Hebrew, with no translation for foreign media or Arabic speakers.
Fayyad gained prominence after the 2014 war, where he led Hamas fighters and inflicted heavy losses on Israeli forces. He became the commander of the Beit Hanoun Battalion, reorganizing it after the conflict.
During the 2021 Gaza conflict, Fayyad directed mortar attacks on Israeli forces near the Erez Crossing and fired anti-tank missiles at targets along the Gaza border.
Fayyad survived several assassination attempts, including one in the latest conflict.
Fayyad’s case is not the first instance where Israeli military reports have been inaccurate.
According to Hamas sources, the Israeli military issued inaccurate or false reports regarding the assassination of Hamas and Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades leaders during the conflict.
Some of the individuals targeted were either injured and later recovered, or were not present at the locations claimed to have been hit.
The Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades operate a military structure comprising five divisions: the Northern Division, Gaza Division, Central Division, Khan Younis Division, and Rafah Division.
Each division includes several brigades, which are made up of units, factions, and military formations, collectively comprising thousands of fighters.
