Hamas has confirmed that Rafah brigade commander Samir Abu Younis was killed during an Israeli air strike on Saturday. The strike hit the al-Mawasi area in southern Gaza.
Israel’s military and the Shin Bet security agency released a joint statement. They said they had targeted a senior Hamas military commander in a drone strike in Khan Younis.
The attack struck a tent sheltering displaced people. Two other individuals sustained injuries in the blast.
Medical personnel stated that the casualties were transported to the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis. Verified video footage recorded by Palestinian journalists near the hospital showed ambulances parked within the grounds, alongside stretchers carrying apparent bloodstains.
The coastal strip of al-Mawasi sits along the Mediterranean and is packed with displaced Palestinians living in tents. Israel has carried out repeated attacks on the territory despite earlier designating it a humanitarian zone.
Gaza’s Ministry of Health released its latest figures on Saturday, reporting that Israeli military actions killed 16 people and wounded 68 others over the preceding 48 hours.
A ceasefire took effect in Gaza on October 11, 2025. Since that date, Israeli forces have killed at least 1,643 Palestinians and injured 5,964, while crews have recovered at least 850 bodies from beneath the rubble.
The Health Ministry states that the total death toll from the war starting in October 2023 has reached at least 74,695 fatalities, with 176,093 people sustaining injuries.
The ministry also documented a new fatality related to winter conditions as a nine-month-old baby died from hypothermia, raising the total number of cold-related deaths to 11.
Most residents in Gaza remain displaced from their homes. They live in tents and damaged buildings while dealing with severe water damage caused by recent heavy rains.
