An overnight airstrike in southern Gaza killed Samir Mahmoud Hassan Abu Younis, commander of Hamas’s Rafah Brigade, just two months after his predecessor was killed in action, the Israeli military said on Sunday.
The strike took place in the al-Mawasi area of Khan Younis. Nasser Hospital received three wounded individuals and one body following the attack.
Abu Younis, 53, joined Hamas’s Izzadin al-Qassam Brigades in 1991 and helped plan and oversee the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel. Before taking over the Rafah Brigade on September 15, he served as the brigade’s deputy commander and headed the Tel al-Sultan Battalion, according to JNS.
He was the third successive commander of the Rafah Brigade killed by Israel during the war, following Nael Abu Obeid, who died on September 15, and Muhammad Shabana, who was killed on May 13, 2025.
The Israel Air Force and Israeli Security Agency carried out the targeted operation. The military said that steps were taken to mitigate civilian harm.
“In his position, Samir Abu Younis directed the brigade’s terrorists to advance and carry out terror attacks against Israeli civilians and IDF troops,” the Israel Defense Forces said on Telegram.
The military added that Abu Younis worked to restore force buildup and capabilities within the Rafah Brigade and the broader militant organization after severe losses during the conflict.
Hamas’s Al-Qassam Brigades military wing confirmed the killing, noting that a funeral for Abu Younis would be held in Khan Younis. The group designated him as a member of its General Military Council and one of the principal commanders involved in the October 2023 assault.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz wrote on social media that the military would continue targeting Hamas leadership until Gaza is demilitarized.
“The offensive policy that I am leading together with the prime minister and the IDF in Gaza will continue until Gaza is demilitarized and Hamas is gone,” Katz said.