Hamas’ military wing says Rafah brigade commander killed in Israeli strike on southern Gaza

Hamas' armed wing announced early Sunday that its Rafah brigade commander, Samir Mahmoud Abu Younis, was killed in an Israeli strike in southern Gaza. The Al-Qassam Brigades said Abu Younis, a member of its General Military Council, was killed in the Al-Mawasi area of Khan Younis. Earlier, the Israeli army said that it had carried out a strike alongside the Shin Bet security agency targeting a senior member of Hamas' armed wing, without identifying the individual.

Nasser Medical Complex had reported that an Israeli drone strike in Al-Mawasi killed one Palestinian and wounded two others. Abu Younis commanded the Rafah brigade previously led by Nael Abu Obeid, who was killed in an Israeli strike in Khan Younis on Sept. 15. According to the figures released by Gaza's Health Ministry, Israeli violations of the ceasefire agreement, which took effect on Oct. 10, 2025, have killed 1,643 Palestinians and wounded 5,964 others as of Saturday.

Since October 2023, Israel's genocidal war on Gaza has killed more than 74,000 Palestinians and wounded over 176,000, most of them women and children, according to the ministry. The war has also destroyed around 90% of Gaza's infrastructure, while the UN estimates reconstruction costs at approximately $71.4 billion.