Israel announced on Sunday that its forces had targeted and killed a senior militant belonging to the military wing of Hamas. The armed group subsequently confirmed the death of one of its commanders inside the Gaza Strip.
Samir Abu Younis lost his life on Saturday in an operation carried out by the Israel Defense Forces and the internal security agency Shin Bet. A joint statement from the Israeli military confirmed the strike against the senior militant.
Younis had assumed command of the Rafah Brigade two months earlier. He took over the role after his predecessor was killed in September, according to the Israeli military, which also accused him of ordering attacks against Israeli soldiers.
The Al-Qassam Brigades stated on Telegram that Younis was killed on Saturday evening during what it described as a cowardly assassination operation. The movement acknowledged that he stood among the most important commanders involved in planning and supervising the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.
A security source told reporters shortly after midnight that the lethal strike targeted Younis in Al-Mawasi, located west of Khan Younis. Gaza civil defence spokesman Mahmoud Bassal confirmed that the agency received the body of the 53-year-old commander and stated that two people sustained injuries in the southern Gaza attack.
Mourners gathered on Sunday afternoon for the funeral of Younis. Footage showed the crowd surrounding his body, which was wrapped in a green Hamas flag with a weapon placed on top.
Israel and Hamas have accused each other of violating the ceasefire that came into effect in October 2025 following two years of war. Although the US-backed truce has largely subdued the fighting, Israel has maintained regular strikes across the territory.
Attacks have intensified in the southern part of Gaza in recent days. Palestinian emergency services reported that six people died on Thursday in a bombing at Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis, while seven others perished elsewhere in the strip.
Those 13 deaths marked the deadliest single day in Gaza since Israeli legislative elections on October 27. The Israeli military stated that the hospital strike targeted a senior Hamas official and other armed members, accusing the group of using the medical facility as a command centre. Hamas has consistently denied using medical sites for military purposes.
More than 1,600 Palestinians have died in Gaza since the ceasefire began, based on health ministry data considered reliable by the United Nations. The Israeli military has reported the deaths of seven soldiers and one civilian contractor during the same timeframe.
Former army chief Gadi Eisenkot is engaged in negotiations to form a governing coalition. Caretaker Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu retains responsibility for military operations.
