The Israeli army (IDF) and the domestic intelligence service Shin Bet have confirmed the killing of another senior Hamas commander in the southern Gaza Strip. Samir Mahmoud Hassan Abu Younis, commander of the Rafah Brigade of Hamas’s military wing, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Khan Yunis. Hamas has since confirmed his death as well.
The 53-year-old had taken over the leadership of the brigade just around two months ago. His predecessor, Nael Abu Obeid, had been killed in an Israeli strike on September 15. Abu Younis is thus already the second commander of the Rafah Brigade that Israel has eliminated within two months.
Long-serving Hamas commander
Abu Younis had been a member of Hamas’s military wing, the so-called Qassam Brigades, since 1991. Over the course of his career, he held several leadership positions within the Rafah Brigade, including serving as deputy brigade commander and commander of the Tel al-Sultan Battalion.
According to the Israeli army, Abu Younis was responsible for planning and carrying out terrorist attacks against Israeli civilians and soldiers. He had also been working to restore the military capabilities of the Rafah Brigade after it suffered heavy losses during the war.
Hamas stated that Abu Younis had also been involved in planning and directing the terrorist attack of October 7, 2023. During the massacre in southern Israel, approximately 1,200 people were murdered and 251 were abducted as hostages to the Gaza Strip.
Commander of the Rafah Brigade. Image: Spokesperson of the Israel Defense Forces
Strike in Khan Yunis
According to Palestinian sources, the strike took place in the Al-Mawasi area west of Khan Yunis. Local medical personnel reported that additional people were wounded in the attack.
The Israeli army stated that it had taken measures prior to the strike to reduce the risk to uninvolved civilians.
Defense Minister Israel Katz confirmed the strike before the official announcement of Abu Younis’s death. On the platform X, he stated that the Israeli army was continuing its targeted campaign against Hamas leadership in the Gaza Strip.
“The offensive policy that I am pursuing together with the Prime Minister and the army in the Gaza Strip will continue until Gaza is demilitarized and Hamas no longer exists,” Katz wrote.
Third commander since May 2025
The Rafah Brigade has now lost three commanders within a year and a half.
In May 2025, Israel killed Muhammad Shabana, the brigade’s commander at the time, in a strike in Khan Yunis. In the same strike, Muhammad Sinwar, the then-leader of Hamas’s military wing, was also killed.
Shabana’s successor, Nael Abu Obeid, subsequently took over the leadership of the Rafah Brigade and simultaneously assumed a senior role in Hamas’s military operational apparatus. He was killed in September 2026.
With Abu Younis, the terrorist organization has once again lost the man responsible for leading and rebuilding the Rafah Brigade.
The killing comes despite the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip that has been in effect since October 2025. Israel justifies its continued military operations by citing threats from Hamas and its efforts to rebuild its military capabilities. The terrorist organization, in turn, accuses Israel of violating the ceasefire.
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