Hamas has confirmed the death of Rafah brigade commander Samir Abu Younis following an airstrike in Khan Younis on Saturday.
Published On 15 Nov 2026
Hamas officially confirmed on Saturday that Samir Abu Younis, the commander of the Rafah brigade, was killed in an Israeli airstrike on the al-Mawasi area of Khan Younis, southern Gaza.
Prior to the confirmation, Israel’s military and the Shin Bet security agency issued a joint statement announcing that they had targeted a senior Hamas military commander in a drone strike in Khan Younis on Saturday.
The strike hit a tent sheltering displaced people, wounding two other individuals.
The casualties were transported to the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis, medical personnel told Al Jazeera 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.
Latest toll
Gaza’s Ministry of Health reported in its latest update on Saturday that Israeli attacks over the past 48 hours have killed 16 people and injured 68 others.
Since the ceasefire in Gaza took effect on October 11, 2025, Israeli operations have resulted in at least 1,643 Palestinian deaths and 5,964 injuries, with at least 850 bodies recovered from under the rubble.
Since the conflict began in October 2023, at least 74,695 people have been killed and 176,093 injured, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
The ministry also reported that cold-related deaths have risen to 11, following the death of a nine-month-old baby from hypothermia, the first such casualty this winter.
Gaza’s residents, the vast majority of whom have been displaced, are living in tents and damaged buildings as water damage from recent heavy rains sets in.
Israeli attacks have escalated across Gaza, despite the October ceasefire.
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