Israeli air strike kills senior Hamas commander in Gaza

Hamas has confirmed that Rafah brigade commander Samir Abu Younis was killed in an Israeli air strike on the al-Mawasi area of Khan Younis, southern Gaza. Israel’s military and Shin Bet security agency earlier said in a joint statement that they had targeted a senior Hamas military commander in a drone strike in Khan Younis on Saturday. Video footage verified by Al Jazeera and posted by Palestinian journalists from the vicinity of the hospital showed ambulances inside the grounds and stretchers that appear to be stained with blood.

Al-Mawasi, a coastal strip on the Mediterranean, is crowded with displaced Palestinians living in tents. Israel has repeatedly attacked the area despite previously designating it a humanitarian zone. Gaza’s Ministry of Health said in its latest update on Saturday that Israeli attacks have killed 16 people and injured 68 others over the past 48 hours.

Since the “ceasefire” in Gaza took effect on October 11, 2025, Israel has killed at least 1,643 Palestinians and injured 5,964. At least 850 bodies have been recovered from under the rubble.