Israel K!lls Senior Hamas Commander In Gaza Str!ke

Israel Kills Senior Hamas Commander In Gaza Strike

Israel has killed a senior Hamas commander, Samir Abu Younis, in an airstrike in the southern Gaza Strip, the Israeli military and the Palestinian group have confirmed.

Abu Younis, 53, who commanded Hamas’s Rafah Brigade, was killed in a strike in the Mawasi area of Khan Younis on Saturday.

Hamas’s armed wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, announced his death on Sunday, saying he had been a member of its military wing since 1991 and held several senior operational positions in Rafah.

The group also described him as one of the commanders involved in planning and overseeing the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Shin Bet security agency also confirmed the killing, describing Abu Younis as a senior figure in Hamas’s military wing.

The Israeli military said he had served as commander of the Rafah Brigade for about two months after his predecessor, Nael Abu Obeid, was killed on September 15.

It further accused him of directing attacks against Israeli civilians and troops and working to rebuild Hamas’s military capabilities.

Medics said the airstrike killed Abu Younis and wounded other people in the area.

Hamas said Abu Younis’s funeral would take place in Khan Younis on Sunday afternoon.