Senior Hamas commander Samir Abu Younis killed in Israeli airstrike

Summarised from 4 outlets · Updated 15 Nov, 08:08 · Archive

Israeli forces have killed Samir Abu Younis, a senior Hamas commander and Rafah brigade leader, in an airstrike in Khan Younis, Gaza.

Hamas confirmed on Saturday that Samir Abu Younis, the 53-year-old commander of its Rafah brigade, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in the al-Mawasi area of Khan Younis in southern Gaza. The Israeli military and Shin Bet security agency said in a joint statement that they had targeted a senior Hamas military commander in a drone strike.

The airstrike hit a tent sheltering displaced people, wounding two others who were taken to Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis. Al-Mawasi is a coastal strip on the Mediterranean crowded with displaced Palestinians living in tents. Israel has previously designated the area a humanitarian zone but has repeatedly attacked it.

GB News reports that Abu Younis had helped plan the October 7 attack and had held several senior operational roles in Rafah before becoming commander of the brigade. Hamas said his funeral would be held on Sunday afternoon in Khan Younis.

Gaza's Ministry of Health said Israeli attacks killed 16 people and injured 68 others over the 48 hours to Saturday. Since the ceasefire took effect on October 11, 2025, Israel has killed at least 1,643 Palestinians and injured 5,964, with at least 850 bodies recovered from rubble. GB News reports that five Israeli soldiers have been killed during the same period.

The airstrike came days after an Israeli strike on Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis that killed at least six Palestinians, including a surgeon and a teenage boy, according to GB News. The strike hit a building containing surgery wards.

Gaza's residents, most of whom have been displaced, are living in tents and damaged buildings as water damage from recent heavy rains has set in. Israeli attacks have escalated across Gaza despite the October ceasefire.

How it is being reported

• Israel kills Hamas commander in strike on Gaza camp, officials sayBoth Hamas and IDF officials confirm the death of Samir Abu Younis, commander of the Rafah Brigade.BBC News · 15 Nov, 08:17
• Hamas says senior commander killed in Israeli airstrikeA senior Hamas commander who helped plan and oversee the 7 October 2023 attack had been killed in an Israeli airstrike, according to the Palestinian militant group.Sky News · 15 Nov, 05:16
• Senior Hamas commander who helped plot October 7 attacks killed in Israeli airstrikeA senior Hamas commander who helped to plot the October 7 attack has been killed in an Israeli airstrike. Samir Abu Younis was killed, and others were wounded, in an airstrike that targeted him on a street in the Mawasi area of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip. The Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, confirmed the 53-year-old commander of the group's Rafah brigade was killed on Saturday. The Israeli military said it had struck a senior commander in Hamas' armed wing but did not identify him. Abu Younis joined the terror group's armed wing in 1991 and had held several senior…GB News · 15 Nov, 01:35
• Israeli air strike kills senior Hamas commander in GazaHamas confirms the death of Rafah brigade commander Samir Abu Younis in an attack on Khan Younis on Saturday.Al Jazeera · 15 Nov, 01:00

In this story: Samir Abu Younis · Hamas · Israel · Khan Younis · Gaza · Rafah · Al-Qassam Brigades · Shin Bet

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem · Corrections log