Israel says it killed Samir Abu Younis, commander of Hamas's Rafah Brigade, in an airstrike in Al-Mawasi, southern Gaza. Hamas's Al-Qassam Brigades confirmed his death.
Israel says it killed Samir Abu Younis, the newly appointed commander of Hamas's Rafah Brigade, in an Israeli airstrike in Al-Mawasi in the southern Gaza Strip, according to Hamas's Al-Qassam Brigades military wing. A local Hamas official confirmed Younis's death.
Eyewitnesses in Gaza said four missiles struck a tent in the Al-Waha camp, which shelters hundreds of displaced people in Al-Mawasi, causing a fire to break out. A medical source at Nasser Hospital in the southern city of Khan Younis said three injured people had arrived there, as well as a dead body.
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) and Israel's security agency, the ISA, confirmed in a statement on Telegram that it had "eliminated" Younis. Describing him as a "central figure among Hamas's senior figures", it said he had "acted with the aim of trying to restore the strength of the brigade and the Hamas terrorist organisation". It added: "Younis directed the brigade's terrorists to advance and carry out terror attacks against Israeli civilians and IDF troops."
The Israeli military said it targeted him and that prior to the strike "steps were taken to mitigate harm to civilians".
Al-Qassam Brigades wrote on Telegram that Younis had "participated in numerous high-profile operations and resisted enemy incursions", and was "one of the most important commanders involved in planning and overseeing the 7 October attack". It described his killing as a "cowardly assassination".
Younis, 53, had been in his position since 15 September, following the death of the brigade's previous commander, Nael Abu Obeid. He joined Hamas' armed wing in 1991 and held several senior operational roles before becoming commander. His funeral will be held on Sunday afternoon in Khan Younis, Hamas said.
The Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, when about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others taken hostage, triggered the most recent war in Gaza. Since then, more than 74,650 people have been killed in the Palestinian territory, the health ministry there says.
The killing of a senior Hamas commander shows Israel's continued targeting of Hamas figures in Gaza. The strike on a camp sheltering displaced people raises questions about civilian harm in military operations.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
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