A senior Hamas commander who Israeli officials say helped plan and oversee the 7 October 2023 attack on Israel has been killed in an airstrike in southern Gaza, according to statements from Hamas and the Israeli military.
Samir Abu Younis, 53, had been commander of Hamas’s Rafah Brigade since 15 September. Hamas’s armed wing, the al-Qassam Brigades, said he was killed on Saturday in Al-Mawasi, where large numbers of displaced Palestinians are sheltering.
Who was Samir Abu Younis?
Younis joined Hamas’s armed wing in 1991 and later held several senior operational positions. He became commander of the Rafah Brigade after the death of his predecessor, Nael Abu Obeid.
The Israeli military and Israel’s security agency, the ISA, described Younis as a senior Hamas figure who had been working to rebuild the brigade and the wider organisation. They said he directed fighters involved in attacks against Israeli civilians and Israeli Defence Forces personnel.
Hamas portrayed Younis differently, describing him as an important commander who had taken part in high-profile operations and resisted Israeli incursions. Its armed wing called the strike a “cowardly assassination” and said he had played a significant role in planning and overseeing the 7 October attack.
Reports of casualties at Al-Mawasi camp
Eyewitnesses told the BBC that four missiles struck a tent in the Al-Waha camp in Al-Mawasi. The camp is home to hundreds of displaced people, and the strike reportedly started a fire.
A medical source at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis said three injured people had arrived at the facility, along with one body. The available reports did not provide a confirmed total for casualties from the strike.
The Israeli military said measures had been taken before the attack to reduce the risk of harm to civilians. The strike occurred in an area where many people have sought shelter during the conflict, adding to concerns about the safety of displaced civilians in southern Gaza.
How the strike fits into the Gaza war
The Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023 killed about 1,200 people and resulted in 251 others being taken hostage, according to Israeli figures. It triggered the current war in Gaza.
Gaza’s health ministry says more than 74,650 people have been killed in the territory since the war began. The ministry’s figures do not distinguish between combatants and civilians, but the United Nations has said its casualty data is generally considered reliable.
A ceasefire was reached in October 2025. However, Israel has continued carrying out strikes that it says target remaining Hamas fighters. Israeli authorities argue that such military action is permitted under the terms of the ceasefire agreement.
According to Gaza’s health ministry, more than 1,640 people have been killed in the territory since the October 2025 ceasefire. The frequency of Israeli strikes has been the subject of continuing reporting and dispute.
What happens next?
Hamas said Younis’s funeral would take place on Sunday afternoon in Khan Younis. His death could affect Hamas’s command structure in the Rafah area, although there was no immediate announcement about who would replace him.
The incident is also likely to intensify scrutiny of military operations in Al-Mawasi, one of the areas where displaced people have gathered. Accounts from Hamas, Israeli authorities and local medical sources differ in their characterisation of the strike, so casualty figures and operational details may be revised as more information becomes available.
The wider significance
Younis’s reported death is significant because both sides identified him as a senior operational figure. Israel linked him to efforts to restore Hamas’s military capacity, while Hamas highlighted his role in earlier fighting and in the planning of the 7 October assault.
The strike underlines the fragile nature of the Gaza ceasefire and the continuing danger facing civilians living in or near areas targeted by Israeli operations. It also demonstrates that the conflict remains active despite the ceasefire framework.
The key takeaway: Hamas says Rafah Brigade commander Samir Abu Younis was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Al-Mawasi. Israel confirmed targeting him, while reports from the area said displaced civilians were also affected and medical staff treated casualties.
