Israel reportedly attempted to eliminate Hamas's Rafah brigade commander, Muhammad Shabana, who is on the IDF's deck of cards hit list which was distributed to soldiers. However, his card shows a picture of the famous Egyptian sports journalist Mohamed Shabana.
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Egyptian sports journalist Mohamed Shabana on the card instead of the Hamas commander on the right
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 served as secretary-general of the Egyptian Journalists Syndicate.
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 media, stating that Israel boasts about its intelligence capabilities but doesn't recognize the Hamas leader they targeted and disseminates inaccurate information.
The Egyptian Shabana wasn't perturbed by the publication. 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, supposed to be at its best. This indicates their confusion, and Palestine will soon return to its owner, and victory will come."
Assassination attempt on Hamas' Shabana
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 a confusion. 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.
The deck of cards initiative is similar to the American initiative army after the invasion of Iraq in 2003. Then, decks of cards in Iraq held pictures of Saddam Hussein's regime. However, it's unclear who distributed the cards.