Voice of Battalions: The Masked Man, A Symbol of Resistance
For days I have been humming the cherished verses of the late
poet Ibrahim Tuqan, pausing long at the opening of his poem “Do Not Ask
About His Well-Being”:
Do not ask about his well-being,
His soul rests upon his palm.
His sorrows have replaced for him
A shroud in place of his pillow.
And with every verse of it, images come to my mind of those we
have lost in the blaze of this war—a blessed group of great leaders and heroes
who were true to the covenant they made with God. Among them are those who
fulfilled their pledge, walking the path they had chosen and known, and those
who still await, continuing this great course of noble sacrifices. The voice of
Abdul azizal-Rantisi still echoes in my ears as he grasped his rifle,
declaring it with piercing clarity through the veils of years and days: this
is the path, and no other.
I continue reading the poem and pause
long at this verse: “uttering fire and blood.” It is as if Tuqan meant
the very figure I wish to speak about in this article—that masked man whose
voice terrifies the Zionist enemy and sends us message after message, striving
to revive what has withered and awaken what strength remains. I do not write
here an obituary for him, for as long as al-Qassam
has not announced his martyrdom, his voice will remain alive in every free
heart, spewing fire upon a despicable enemy and blood born of a betrayal beyond
imagination. Rather, these are reflections and visions of a figure whose mask
condensed layers of symbolism, transforming into the resounding voice of the
brigades, their cherished image, and their exceptional media presence—one that
resembles none but this people, with their pride, dignity, struggle, and
sacrifices.
Abu Ubaida: The Birth of the Resistance
Spokesman
Abu Ubaida’s journey began in 2004,
when he delivered al-Qassam’s first statement at Al-Noor Mosque in northern
Gaza, marking the launch of the most prominent media spokesman of a resistance
movement in modern times. Following the withdrawal of the Zionist enemy’s army
from the Gaza Strip in 2005, Abu Ubaida officially assumed the position of spokesman
for the al-Qassam Brigades. At that time, he appeared in the program “In
the Company of the Rifle” broadcast by Al Jazeera. Later, during the Battle
of al-Furqan at the end of 2008 and the beginning of 2009, Abu Ubaida’s
appearances became the platform for the resistance’s official statements and
for revealing the enemy’s losses.
In the subsequent wars, Abu Ubaida’s
presence became firmly established as a distinctive hallmark in both the media
and military landscape of the al-Qassam Brigades in particular, and of the
resistance in general. His appearances evolved from merely outlining
developments and the enemy’s losses to delivering concise messages that
conveyed field achievements and the resistance’s messages to its people and the
wider region.
From “Protective Edge” ( al-ʿAṣf al-Maʾkūl) to
“Al-Aqsa Flood”
During the 2014 Protective Edge
war, Abu Ubaida’s most prominent address came with the announcement of the
capture of an enemy soldier, a moment that marked the rise of his presence and
symbolism on both the Palestinian and Arab levels. Abu Ubaida also adapted to
digital platforms, and it was his threats issued via Telegram that
sparked the Sword of Jerusalem battle, which forced the occupation to
retreat amid the Zionist assault on Al-Aqsa Mosque.
And finally, under the shadow of Al-Aqsa
Flood, Abu Ubaida’s voice still beats with hope despite the successive
wounds, culminating in his most recent message—laden with the emotions of a
fighter who feels abandoned, yet striving to awaken a vast nation that has left
Gaza, its people, and its resistance alone against a hateful, murderous enemy.
Still, the resistance remains capable of confronting the occupier. Did he not
say to the enemy: “If you decide to continue the war, then prepare for more
losses—in lives and in captives”?
The Masked Man: The Image of the Nation
Abu Ubaida has become an icon of the
resistance and of al-Qassam. His voice, and that gleam in his eyes, are now
part of an identity that has become a banner for this faithful, struggling
movement. His appearances are moments awaited with pride by the free. Think of
the old man in the Hijaz who listens to the masked man’s speeches only while
standing, out of respect for the man and his words; of the children whose eyes
first opened upon the image of the masked figure; of the young boy who set his
sights on one day becoming like Abu Ubaida. He is the true hero—not
“superhuman” by Hollywood standards, but born of this land, rooted in Gaza,
nourished by dignity generation after generation. Through his voice and his
words, he became the voice of the entire nation. In his features, you can see
every Palestinian, from sea to sea. He is, indeed, “the spokesman of the
nation”—“the masked man.”
Abu Ubaida’s position has been firmly
established as a prominent media figure of this war, especially after the
martyrdom of his counterpart in Saraya al-Quds, Abu Hamza—may God accept
him. The voice of the masked man has become like roaring bullets, carrying the
message of resistance and steadfastness. His presence is no longer confined to
a particular environment; did you not see that American student who wore a red
keffiyeh, declaring he did so in emulation of the masked man? The echo of his
messages has reached the entire world, and it will continue to resonate as long
as this nation seeks its voice and its dignity.
The Red Keffiyeh and the Legacy of
Resistance
Seldom has history known a nation so
abundant in giving, so rich in symbols and exceptional leaders, as this nation.
Hardly do the years pass without it offering the best of its sons for
liberation from the yoke of humiliation, occupation, and subjugation. These
martyrs give their blood for the sake of God Almighty, standing up to the
mightiest armies in the world—armies marked by brutality, arrogance, and
vileness. Yet this blessed vanguard remains steadfast, clinging firmly to its
choices—men whose names are inscribed with the ink of dignity, whose stances
are etched into the golden pages of history. Truly, they are legends never to
be forgotten.
And from this blessed tree comes the
“living martyr”—the masked man. Whoever walks this path knows with true
certainty that martyrdom is half the journey, and victory is the other half.
You see them racing toward death, as if that red keffiyeh—passed from Imad Aqel
to Abu Ubaida—will continue its course until the prayer is raised in the
blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque. It is a mighty legacy where words merge with deeds, and
heroism with blood. It is as though the very voice of the resistance’s symbols
proclaims: We live with the sons of this people, and we march with them as
martyrs.
“The Tunnel Master”… Returns
Since the first time my eyes beheld
Abu Ubaida, I have imagined him as the “Master of the Tunnel” from the well-known
story in Islamic history—that man whose identity remains unknown to this day,
yet for whom Maslama ibn ‘Abd al-Malik would supplicate in every prayer: “O
Allah, place me with the Master of the Tunnel.” And here before us are the
lines of another masked man, who did not live in the earliest days of Islam yet
walked their very path—fighting with great endurance, offering the greatest of
sacrifices, and serving as the voice of that blessed vanguard for nearly 21
years. Just as the commander Maslama, may Allah have mercy on him, used to
pray, so too do we say: O Allah, place us with the Master of the Tunnel,
with the voice of God’s chosen ones, with the one who proclaimed the truth and
defended the sanctities of this nation—with Abu Ubaida, Abu Ibrahim, and Abu
al-‘Abd. May Allah be pleased with them all, and how excellent a company they
are.
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