IDF strikes senior Hamas operative; Gaza reports Rafah Brigade commander killed

The IDF and Shin Bet confirmed a strike on a senior Hamas operative in Khan Younis. Palestinian reports claim the target was Rafah Brigade commander Samir Abu Younis, but Israeli officials have not confirmed his identity.

Palestinian reports last night (Saturday to Sunday) stated that Samir Abu Younes, the Rafah Brigade commander in the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, was eliminated in an Israeli strike in the al-Mawasi humanitarian area in Khan Younis. Abu Younes was killed in a drone strike while in a vehicle, and apparently another person was with him. According to the reports, Abu Younes, known as "Abu Mahmoud," replaced the previous brigade commander Nael Abu Ubaid, who was eliminated last September. Shortly after the reports were published, the IDF and Shin Bet announced that they had targeted a "senior operative" in the military wing of Hamas, stating that further details on the strike would follow. In September, the IDF and Shin Bet eliminated Abu Ubaid, the previous Rafah Brigade commander, in a drone strike. Abu Ubaid had replaced his predecessor Muhammad Shabana in May 2025, who was eliminated in Khan Younis alongside the then-head of Hamas's military wing, Muhammad Sinwar.