Israel kills Hamas commander in strike on Gaza camp, officials say

On Saturday, an Israeli airstrike killed Samir Abu Younis, a senior Hamas commander who helped plan the 7 October 2023 attack on Israel, according to officials in Israel and Gaza. Younis, the newly appointed commander of the Rafah Brigade, was killed in Al-Mawasi, a southern Gaza Strip camp, as confirmed by the military wing of Hamas’s Al-Qassam Brigades.

The Israeli military stated that prior to the strike, efforts were made to minimize harm to civilians. Eyewitnesses reported four missiles struck a tent in the Al-Waha camp, resulting in a fire and the arrival of three injured people and one dead body at Nasser Hospital in the southern city of Khan Younis. The Israel Defence Forces and Israel’s security agency confirmed the killing of Younis, describing him as a key figure within Hamas’s senior leadership who sought to bolster the brigade and its terrorist organization.

Al-Qassam Brigades claimed Younis participated in numerous high-profile operations and resisted enemy incursions, calling his death a "cowardly assassination." Younis, 53, had been in his position since 15 September, succeeding Nael Abu Obeid. His funeral is scheduled for Sunday afternoon in Khan Younis. The Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, which resulted in over 1,200 deaths and 251 hostages, sparked the current Gaza conflict.

Since the ceasefire last October, Israel has carried out occasional strikes targeting remaining Hamas militants, arguing it has a right to do so under the ceasefire agreement.