Samir Abu Younis had barely settled into his new role. Appointed head of Hamas’s Rafah Brigade in mid-September, the 53-year-old was killed late on Saturday when Israeli aircraft struck the coastal area of Al-Mawasi in southern Gaza, according to both the Israeli military and Hamas.
Witnesses said four missiles hit a tent at the Al-Waha site, a sprawling site where hundreds of displaced families shelter, and that the impact set the area alight. Doctors nearby treated three casualties, and one person was brought in dead, according to a hospital source.
In a joint statement, the army and the Shin Bet security service said they had “eliminated” a commander who was trying to rebuild the brigade’s strength and who ordered attacks on Israeli troops and civilians. The military added that measures had been taken beforehand to reduce harm to bystanders.
Hamas’s armed wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, described Abu Younis, also called Abu Mahmoud, as one of its founding-era fighters. He signed up in 1991, spent time in Israeli jails and later ran Rafah’s western battalion. The group credited him with a key part in planning and supervising the October 7, 2023 assault. He took over the brigade after Israel killed its previous chief, Nael Abu Obeid. He was laid to rest the following day.
The killing underlines how limited the October 2025 ceasefire has proved. Large-scale fighting has stopped, yet targeted Israeli strikes continue and Hamas has not been disarmed. Israeli officials insist the deal permits them to go after fighters who are still active. Since the pause took effect, no fewer than 1,600 Palestinians have lost their lives according to Gaza’s health officials; Israel has lost five soldiers over the same months.
Overall, Palestinian officials put the death toll from the war at more than 74,000. The conflict began after the 2023 raid on southern Israel, which left roughly 1,200 dead and saw 251 people dragged into Gaza as hostages.
