Israeli Military Says It Killed Hamas Brigade Commander in Rafah

The Israeli military has killed Samir Abu Younis, a Hamas brigade commander in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip. According to the army, he was among the senior leaders of the Palestinian militant group. The incident shows that deadly attacks continue in Gaza, even though a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas has been in effect since October 2025.

Hamas confirmed the death of its commander. The group said he was "one of the most important commanders in the planning and supervision of the October 7 attack."

What the Israeli military says

The army stated that Abu Younis had been working to rebuild Hamas and its brigade in Rafah. That unit suffered heavy losses during the war with Israel.

Ceasefire and continuing strikes

Although the ceasefire in Gaza has held formally since October 2025, the attacks have not stopped. Most recently, the Israeli military stepped up its air strikes again.

A few days ago, the army also struck Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis. According to the army, the target was the local brigade commander and other militants from the military wing of Hamas.

How the war began

The war in the Gaza Strip was triggered by the attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. In it, militants from Hamas and other extremist organizations killed about 1,200 people and took 251 hostages.