Israel kills Hamas commander in Gaza strike

Samir Abu Younis, who helped plan and oversee the Oct. 7 massacre, took control of Hamas’ Rafah Brigade just two months ago.

Israel said Sunday it had killed a senior Hamas commander in an overnight airstrike in southern Gaza, just two months after his predecessor was killed.

The Israel Defense Forces identified the commander as Samir Mahmoud Hassan Abu Younis, who led Hamas’ Rafah Brigade and reportedly had a leading role in planning the Oct. 7 2023 massacre in Israel.

“Abu Younis was appointed commander of the brigade approximately 2 months ago, following the elimination of his predecessor,” the IDF said in astatementposted on X on Sunday.

According to the Israeli military, Abu Younis previously served as deputy commander of the brigade and led its Tel al-Sultan Battalion.

The IDF accused him of directing attacks against Israeli civilians and soldiers, as well as working to rebuild Hamas’ military capabilities.

“The terrorist was eliminated in order to remove the threat he posed,” the military said.

Writing on Telegram, Hamas’s Al-Qassam Brigades said Abu Younis had been involved in “numerous high-profile operations” and was “one of the most important commanders involved in planning and overseeing the October 7th attack.”

Abu Younis succeeded Nael Abu Obeid, who was killed by Israel on Sept. 15, making him the latest in a series of Hamas commanders targeted by Israeli forces.

The killing comes amid a fragile ceasefire that took effect in Oct. 2025, ending major fighting but failing to stop Israeli strikes in Gaza. U.S. President Donald Trump’s broader peace plan remains stalled over disagreements about Hamas’ disarmament and Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted that Hamas surrender its weapons before Israeli troops withdraw, rejecting a proposed phased approach that would see both steps take place in parallel.

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