Israeli airstrike kills senior Hamas commander in southern Gaza
Hamas confirmed the death of Rafah brigade commander Samir Abu Younis following an Israeli military operation in the Khan Younis area.
An Israeli airstrike killed Samir Abu Younis, a senior commander of the Hamas armed wing, in the southern Gaza Strip on Saturday evening, according to reports from India Today and Moneycontrol.
The strike targeted Abu Younis in the Al-Mawasi area of Khan Younis while he was travelling on a street, according to medical officials and a security source.
Hamas' Al-Qassam Brigades confirmed the death of the 53-year-old commander of the Rafah brigade, describing the event as an assassination operation. The group stated Abu Younis was a key figure in planning the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel.
The Israeli military and its internal security agency, Shin Bet, issued a joint statement on Sunday confirming they had struck a senior figure in the Hamas military wing.
Abu Younis had been part of the Al-Qassam Brigades since 1991 and held several senior operational positions in the area. Gaza's civil defence spokesman Mahmoud Bassal said the agency received the body and noted that two other people were wounded in the strike.
The killing occurred despite a US-backed ceasefire that took effect on October 10, 2025. Gaza health authorities reported at least 1,600 Palestinians and five Israeli soldiers have been killed since the ceasefire began.
