The Israeli military announced on Sunday that it had targeted a senior figure in the military wing of the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), while sources within the group confirmed the death of Samir Abu Younis, commander of the Rafah Brigade, in an Israeli airstrike on the Al-Mawasi area of Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip.
Reuters quoted Hamas sources as saying that the strike killed Abu Younis, who had assumed command of the Rafah Brigade less than two months ago following the killing of his predecessor, Nael Abu Obeid, in an earlier Israeli airstrike.
Israeli Missiles Hit a Displaced Persons’ Tent
According to the reported information, Israeli aircraft targeted a tent sheltering displaced Palestinians in the Al-Mawasi area where Abu Younis was present, firing several missiles.
The strike sparked fires that spread to dozens of nearby tents. Field reports also indicated that several Palestinians were injured in the bombardment and the subsequent fires, raising concerns about the extent of the damage in an area hosting large numbers of displaced people.
Abu Younis Took Command of the Rafah Brigade Less Than Two Months Ago
Samir Abu Younis had taken over command of Hamas’s Rafah Brigade after the previous commander, Nael Abu Obeid, was killed in an Israeli airstrike targeting the same area.
The reported killing of Abu Younis came less than two months after his appointment, as part of a series of Israeli strikes targeting senior military figures within the movement.
Series of Strikes Target Hamas Military Leaders
The latest attack comes as the Israeli military continues operations against Hamas military officials. Days earlier, it announced that it had targeted the commander of the Khan Younis Brigade in a strike on the Nasser Medical Complex.
Within less than two months, several Hamas military commanders have been killed in Israeli airstrikes, including Nael Abu Obeid, the former commander of the Rafah Brigade; Ezz al-Din al-Bayk, commander of the northern Gaza Strip Brigade; and Mohammed al-Yazouri, commander of the Khan Younis Brigade.
These operations reflect the Israeli military’s continued focus on targeting field commanders within Hamas’s military wing, amid ongoing airstrikes across various parts of the Gaza Strip.
