Abu Hamza was killed in a shock offensive by Israel, violating the ceasefire [Screengrab/X]
Reactions are pouring in following the announcement of the killing of Abu Hamza, the military spokesperson for Palestine’s Quds Brigades, with many surprised at his identity.
Naji Abu Seif, also known as Abu Hamza, was killed in Israel’s shock offensive on Gaza on Tuesday, which started at 2 am and has been ongoing since.
The Islamic Jihad movement in Palestine announced his killing on Tuesday, adding that he was killed along with his wife and several members of his family.
The Israeli strikes targeted his house in central Gaza, reports said.
“With great pride and honour, the Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine announces to our great Palestinian people and to the Arab and Islamic nations the martyrdom of leader Naji Abu Saif Abu Hamza,” a statement from the group read.
The statement added that he was “assassinated by the criminal army in a treacherous attack that also targeted his family and the family of his brother”.
The group called the attack, which came amid a fragile ceasefire agreement, “treacherous and spiteful,” and reiterated that it “will only strengthen our determination to continue defending our people and their rights until the goals of this aggression are completely thwarted”.
In a further statement, the group said, “Abu Hamza dedicated his life to defending Palestine and the rights of the Palestinian people, becoming a prominent media figure who people waited for updates on the latest developments and the stance of Saraya al-Quds”.
The group stated he “was known as a voice of the resistance…was eloquent in his speech and courageous in his heroic positions in defence of the resistance and the rights of our people”.
Online, people have expressed surprise at his appearance, highlighting that he appeared like a ‘normal person’.
“I did not expect that this man is Abu Hamza, one of the wanted people on Israel’s assassination list. This young man was shaking the pillars of the [Israeli] entity with his speeches,” one person wrote in a caption, alongside a photo of Abu Seif dressed in a suit and smiling.
“You expected a long beard, an eye patch, and a tattoo with ‘death to infidels’. He was just a regular Palestinian dude fighting for his people’s liberation from an occupation,” another post on X read.
The sentiment was echoed by others, with one person writing, “I was struck by how young he was…he looked so…ordinary? Like some dude you just happen to pass on the streets and never look twice…”. Â
Others pointed out that he got married just a week before Israel’s offensive on Gaza in October 2023 started, sharing photos of him and his wife, who was also killed.
Abu Hamza’s role
Abu Hamza, as he is widely referred to in Gaza, was responsible for updating and issuing statements regarding key issues in the Strip as well as on Israeli actions.
He often appeared in videos shared on Telegram, uniformed and face covered in front of a green background.Â
His statements would often directly address Israel and at times outlined key demands.
According to reports citing the Islamic Jihad, on 12 February, Abu  Hamza made a key statement where he said the fate of Israeli captives in Gaza was “tied to the behaviour of the head of the occupation government, Benjamin Netanyahu”.
He also said he held the Israeli government responsible for violating the ceasefire agreement and for ongoing violations.
In an interview with the Al-Mayadeen in July 2024, he said: “The coming days will be the deciding factor,” amid ongoing truce talks.
