Israel says it has killed a senior Hamas commander linked to the planning and execution of the October 7 attacks in a targeted strike in Gaza.
Samir Abu Younis, 53, was involved in organising and supervising the 2023 assault, in which nearly 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage. The attack triggered the latest war in the region.
Younis, who had recently been named commander of Hamas’s Rafah Brigade, was killed yesterday in an attack on a refugee camp in Al-Mawasi, in southern Gaza.
Hamas’s armed wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, confirmed his death. The Israel Defense Forces said precautions had been taken to reduce the risk to civilians, including the deployment of precision weapons and aerial surveillance.
Almost 75,000 people have reportedly been killed in Palestine since the conflict began, while UNICEF says 64,000 children in Gaza have been killed or injured.
Witnesses said four missiles struck a tent in the Al-Waha camp, where hundreds of displaced Palestinians had sought shelter, sparking a fire.
Three injured people and the body of one victim were later taken to Nasser Hospital, according to reports.
Other journalists reported that the strike hit Younis as he was walking along a street in the Al-Mawasi area of Khan Younis.
Hamas commander Samir Abu Younis was killed in an Israeli strike on a refugee camp in Al-Mawasi, southern Gaza, yesterday
Samir Abu Younis was involved in planning and directing the October 7 attacks and had recently taken command of the Rafah Brigade
The grandchildren of Samir Abu Younis react during his funeral at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, after medics said he was killed in an Israeli airstrike
A wind turbine built from scrap materials provides electricity at a camp for displaced Palestinians in Khan Younis
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Israel has previously said it reserves the right to conduct occasional strikes against Hamas militants under the terms of a short-lived ceasefire agreement reached last October. Al-Mawasi has been designated a humanitarian zone.
Gazan health officials say at least 1,600 Palestinians have been killed since the ceasefire brought an end to the heaviest fighting. Five Israeli soldiers have also died during the same period.
Younis had led the Rafah Brigade for two months after the previous commander, Nael Abu Obeid, was killed in September. He had held several senior roles since joining Hamas’s armed wing in 1991.
In a statement posted on Telegram, the IDF said: “In his position, Samir Abu Younis directed the brigade’s terrorists to advance and carry out terror attacks against Israeli civilians and IDF troops.
“He also worked to rebuild the brigade’s capabilities and restore Hamas’s military strength after the organisation sustained significant damage during the war.”
The Israeli military later wrote on X that Younis had been killed “in order to remove the threat he posed”.
Israel’s security agency, the Isa, also assisted with the operation.
The Al-Qassam Brigades described Younis on Telegram as “one of the most important commanders involved in planning and overseeing the 7 October attack”.
The group said he had taken part in several high-profile operations and had fought against Israeli incursions, condemning his death as a “cowardly assassination”.
Hamas said the commander’s funeral would take place in Khan Younis on Sunday afternoon.
Meanwhile, displaced Palestinians across Gaza have been battling severe flooding. Heavy rain has damaged the tents where thousands of refugees are living.
Gaza’s Ministry of Health said 11 people have died from the cold this winter, including a nine-month-old baby who succumbed to hypothermia.
