Hamas confirms death of senior commander Samir Abu Younis in Israeli airstrike

The Al-Qassam Brigades identified the commander as Samir Abu Younis, 53, who headed its Rafah brigade (Representative image: AP).

Hamas' armed wing on Sunday confirmed that a senior commander who helped plan and oversee the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel was killed in an Israeli airstrike in southern Gaza.The Al-Qassam Brigades identified the commander as Samir Abu Younis, 53, who headed its Rafah brigade. He was killed in an Israeli strike on Saturday, Reuters reported.Israel's military and Shin Bet security agency had earlier said in a joint statement that they targeted a senior Hamas military commander in a drone strike in Khan Younis on Saturday, without identifying him, Al Jazeera reported.

Medics said Abu Younis was killed and several others were wounded when an airstrike targeted him on a street in the Mawasi area of Khan Younis.According to Hamas, Abu Younis joined its armed wing in 1991 and held several senior operational positions in Rafah before being appointed commander of the brigade. His funeral was scheduled for Sunday afternoon in Khan Younis.The killing comes despite an October 2025 ceasefire that halted major fighting in Gaza but has not stopped Israeli attacks or secured the disarmament of Hamas.Gaza health authorities say at least 1,600 Palestinians have been killed since the ceasefire took effect. Five Israeli soldiers have also been killed during the same period.As per Reuters, Palestinian authorities say more than 74,000 people have been killed in Israel's military campaign in Gaza, launched after Hamas-led fighters killed around 1,200 people in southern Israel on October 7, 2023.