Social media platforms circulated a photo claimed to show Abu Ubaida, the spokesperson for the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Islamic Resistance Movement "Hamas," attending the funeral of the movement's political bureau chief, the late Ismail Haniyeh, which took place in Qatar. Accounts also alleged that Abu Ubaida is named "Suhayb al-Kahlout" and that he broadcasts his military speeches from the studios of Al Jazeera in Doha. The photo began circulating after the burial of Haniyeh following the funeral prayers for him and his personal guard, Waseem Abu Shabaan, at the Imam Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahhab Mosque in Doha on August 2nd.
Condolence ceremonies were held with the presence of leaders from Hamas and political and religious figures at the residence of Ismail Haniyeh in Doha after his burial. Upon investigating the authenticity of the photo, the rumor and misinformation combatting site "Misbahr" found that the claim was misleading and that the photo does not belong to "Abu Ubaida." Special sources revealed to "Misbahr" that the person appearing in the photo is not "Abu Ubaida," nor is his name Suhayb al-Kahlout; instead, he is a Palestinian from Gaza named Arafat Haniyeh, residing in Qatar. The images posted on Arafat Haniyeh's Facebook account match the facial features of the person in the circulated photo.
It is worth noting that there are no reports confirming that "Abu Ubaida's" real name is Suhayb al-Kahlout, as stated in the claim. Previous American and Israeli reports mentioned that his name is Huzaifa Samir Abdullah al-Kahlout. However, "al-Qassam" has not published any statements regarding the identity of its spokesperson. The claim was also disseminated via accounts with Arabic names promoting Israeli narratives in Arabic, particularly the account "Huda Jannat," known for frequently sharing misleading information about Palestinians and the ongoing Israeli war on Gaza since October 7th.
