Israel kills new Hamas Rafah commander in Gaza strike

Israel has killed a newly appointed commander of Hamas’s Rafah Brigade in an airstrike on a displacement camp in southern Gaza, accusing him of organising attacks against Israeli civilians and troops.
Samir Abu Younis, 53, was killed on Saturday when Israeli missiles struck a tent at the Al-Waha camp in Al-Mawasi, an area sheltering displaced Palestinians.

The Israeli military and the country’s security agency, the ISA, confirmed the operation in a joint statement, saying they had “eliminated” Younis.
They described him as a “central figure among Hamas’s senior figures”, alleging that he had been working to rebuild the Rafah Brigade and strengthen the Palestinian armed group.

The Israeli authorities also accused him of directing fighters to carry out attacks against Israeli civilians and troops.
Hamas’s armed wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, confirmed Younis’s death, describing him as “one of the most important commanders involved in planning and overseeing the 7 October attack” on Israel in 2023.
The group said he had participated in several major operations and resisted Israeli military incursions, before condemning his killing as a “cowardly assassination”.

Eyewitnesses said four missiles struck a tent at the camp, sparking a fire. A medical source at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis said three injured people and one body were taken to the facility.
The Israeli military said it had taken measures to reduce civilian casualties before the operation, stating that “steps were taken to mitigate harm to civilians”.

Younis took over as commander of the Rafah Brigade on September 15, following the death of his predecessor, Nael Abu Obeid.
He joined Hamas’s armed wing in 1991 and later held several senior operational positions before his appointment to lead the brigade.
Hamas said his funeral would be held on Sunday afternoon in Khan Younis.
His killing comes amid continued Israeli military operations in Gaza despite a ceasefire agreement reached last October. Israel has maintained that its strikes target remaining Hamas fighters and are permitted under the agreement.

The conflict began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led fighters attacked southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking 251 others hostage.
More than 74,650 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since the war began, according to the territory’s health ministry.