A senior Hamas figure who helped plan and oversee the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel has been killed in an Israeli airstrike, according to officials in Israel and Gaza.
Samir Abu Younis, the newly appointed commander of the Rafah Brigade, was killed on Saturday in Al-Mawasi in the southern Gaza Strip, as reported by Hamas's Al-Qassam Brigades military wing and a local Hamas official. The Israeli military stated that it had targeted him and that prior to the strike, precautions were taken to minimize civilian casualties.
Witnesses in the area reported that four missiles struck a tent within the Al-Waha camp in Al-Mawasi, which provides shelter to hundreds of displaced individuals, igniting a fire. A medical source at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis stated that one body and three wounded people arrived at the facility following the strike.
In a joint statement published on Telegram, the Israel Defense Forces and the Israel Security Agency confirmed the elimination of Younis. Describing him as a central figure among Hamas leadership, the statement noted that he worked to rebuild the strength of the organization and directed operatives to conduct attacks against Israeli civilians and military personnel.
The Al-Qassam Brigades also acknowledged his death on Telegram, calling the strike a cowardly assassination and noting that Younis had participated in numerous operations and was instrumental in planning the 2023 assault.
Younis, who was 53 years old, had assumed his leadership role on September 15 following the death of the previous brigade commander, Nael Abu Obeid. Having joined the militant wing in 1991, he served in various senior operational capacities before taking command. Hamas announced that his funeral would take place on Sunday afternoon in Khan Younis.
The conflict was triggered by the Hamas-led offensive on southern Israel on October 2023, during which approximately 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage. Palestinian health authorities report that more than 74,650 people have been killed in the territory since the war began. Despite a ceasefire reached last October, Israel has continued selective strikes, asserting its right to target remaining militants under the terms of the agreement.