Israel has killed senior Hamas commander Samir Abu Younis in a targeted strike in Al-Mawasi, southern Gaza, according to the Israeli military and Hamas’s armed wing.
Abu Younis, 53, had been appointed commander of the Rafah Brigade two months ago. Hamas said he was among the organisation’s most important commanders involved in planning and overseeing the October 7 attacks in 2023, in which nearly 1,200 people were killed and 251 were taken hostage.
The strike hit a refugee camp in Al-Mawasi, designated a humanitarian zone, where witnesses said four missiles struck a tent sheltering hundreds of displaced Palestinians. A fire broke out, and three injured people and a dead body were later taken to Nasser Hospital, according to reports.
The Israel Defense Forces said measures had been taken to reduce the risk to civilians, including precision munitions and aerial surveillance. Israel’s security agency, the Isa, also assisted with the operation.
In a statement on Telegram, the IDF said Abu Younis had directed members of the Rafah Brigade to carry out attacks against Israeli civilians and troops. It added that he had been working to rebuild the brigade and Hamas’s military capabilities after what it described as severe damage during the war.
“The terrorist was eliminated in order to remove the threat he posed,” the Israeli military said in a post on X.
Hamas confirmed Abu Younis’s death and described the strike as a “cowardly assassination”. The Al-Qassam Brigades said he had taken part in numerous high-profile operations and resisted Israeli incursions.
Abu Younis joined Hamas’s armed wing in 1991 and held several senior positions before becoming commander of the Rafah Brigade. He succeeded Nael Abu Obeid, who was killed in September.
Hamas said a funeral for Abu Younis would be held in Khan Younis on Sunday afternoon.
Israel has previously said it retains the right to conduct occasional strikes against Hamas militants following a brief ceasefire agreement last October.
The attack came as displaced Palestinians in Gaza faced heavy flooding after days of intense rain, with tents damaged across camps. Gaza’s Ministry of Health said 11 people had died from the cold this winter, including a nine-month-old baby who died from hypothermia.
Nearly 75,000 people have been killed in Palestine since the conflict began, according to the figures cited in the report, while Unicef has said 64,000 children have been killed or injured in Gaza.
