Israel attempted to assassinate Hamas’ Rafah brigade commander, Muhammad Shabana, who was included on the IDF’s deck of cards murder list circulated to soldiers. However, his card features a photo of the well-known Egyptian sports writer Mohamed Shabana.
The Egyptian Shabana, a journalist, sports commentator, and former member of the Egyptian Senate, is considered one of the prominent media figures in Egypt, having worked in various channels and as secretary-general of the Egyptian Journalists Syndicate, according to several news agencies.
Upon revelation of the news of the assassination attempt on the Palestinian Shabana, the Egyptian Shabana’s image was posted in Israel. Figures in Egypt claimed that the mistake proves an utter lack of basic professional standards in Israeli media and that the Israeli government uses the media to generate an image of victory.
Egyptian and Palestinian social media and media channels covered and mocked the mistake. Those familiar with the figures ridiculed the Israeli press, stating that Israel boasts about its intelligence capabilities but doesn’t recognize the Hamas leader they targeted and disseminates inaccurate information.
The publication didn’t perturb the Egyptian Shabana. In one of his interviews with Egyptian media, he said he was “not surprised by the publication of the picture,” attributing it to the Shin Bet. “Even though it is one of Israel’s largest security mechanisms, it is supposed to be at its best. This indicates their confusion, and Palestine will soon return to its owner, and victory will come.”
In another interview with Egyptian television, he added that it’s absurd: “I’m not angry or surprised; I received the matter sarcastically. The situation is funny because it’s confusing. Due to the confusion, they turn to Google.” According to Arab reports, he intends to sue Israel, take legal steps, and demand compensation to benefit the Palestinians.
So far, it remains unclear whether Hamas’s Rafah commander was indeed assassinated. According to reports, there was an attempt to eliminate him in December, and his son was also killed last week in eastern Rafah during clashes with the IDF. Two more of his sons were killed in Israel on October 7 during the Hamas surprise attack. Shabana’s house was bombed several times, and he survived several assassination attempts. He has been an IDF target even before October 7, unrelated to the ground operation in Rafah.
