Hamas’s armed wing confirmed on Sunday, Nov. 15, that an Israeli strike in Khan Younis the previous day killed Samir Abu Younis, 53, commander of its Rafah brigade, while Israel said it had targeted a senior Hamas military figure.
The Al-Qassam Brigades identified Abu Younis in a statement. The group said he had joined it in 1991. It said he held senior roles in its operations in Rafah.
It said he later led the brigade. The Israeli military and Shin Bet announced the strike. They did not identify its target in their initial statement.
Medics said Abu Younis was killed in the attack in the Mawasi area of Khan Younis, in southern Gaza. They said others were wounded in the attack in the Mawasi area of Khan Younis, in southern Gaza. Hamas said his funeral would be held in Khan Younis on Sunday afternoon.
The group also said Abu Younis had helped plan the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel. It said he had also helped oversee the attack. The killing came during an October 2025 ceasefire that halted major fighting.
The ceasefire has not ended Israeli strikes. Gaza health authorities report that at least 1,600 Palestinians and five Israeli soldiers have been killed since the ceasefire took effect.