Samir Abu Younis: Israel says it struck senior Hamas commander in Khan Younis, medics say he was killed
Gaza health authorities say at least 1,600 Palestinians have been killed since the October 2025 ceasefire began.
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Samir Abu Younis, a senior Hamas commander, was targeted in an Israeli airstrike in the Mawasi area of Khan Younis in southern Gaza, Reuters reported on Sunday, 15 November. The Israeli military said it had struck a senior commander in Hamas’ military wing, and medics said Abu Younis was killed and others were wounded, according to a Reuters report carried by ThePrint.
What happened in the Khan Younis strike
The Israel Defense Forces announced the strike on X, as the Australian Associated Press reported. Hamas sources told Reuters the target was Samir Abu Younis, and that he commanded the Rafah brigade in Hamas’ armed wing. It hit a street in the Mawasi area of Khan Younis. No number of wounded was given.
Neither report carries a direct statement from Hamas or Israeli officials on the commander’s death, beyond the military announcement and the Hamas sources cited by Reuters.
Key numbers
- 1,600: Palestinians killed since the October 2025 ceasefire took effect, at least, according to Gaza health authorities cited by Reuters via ThePrint.
- 5: Israeli soldiers killed in the same period, per the same report.
- 2: Palestinians killed in a separate drone strike in Jabaliya on Saturday, hospital officials said, per the AAP report.
Hamas commander killed claims and ceasefire context
An October 2025 ceasefire halted major fighting but has not stopped Israeli attacks or secured Hamas’ disarmament, the Reuters report said. On Saturday, the Israeli military said it struck two Hamas militants in Jabaliya on the northern edge of Gaza City, and Shifa Hospital director Mohamed Abu Selmiya confirmed two Palestinians were killed there.
NIS has covered the wider regional escalation, including Iranian claims about tankers hit by mines in the Strait of Hormuz, which unfolded in the same week as the Gaza strike.
Samir Abu Younis and what Hamas has said
Hamas had not issued an on-record statement in the reports reviewed. Its account comes only through unnamed sources speaking to Reuters, so the claim that Abu Younis led the Rafah brigade is attributed to them and has not been independently confirmed.
What happens next
Whether the death of Samir Abu Younis leads Hamas to respond, or changes the pace of Israeli strikes under the ceasefire, has not been reported. Gaza health authorities continue to update the toll of Palestinians killed since the truce began.
A strike on a named senior commander tests how much the October 2025 ceasefire still restrains Israel and Hamas. Any Hamas response, or a change in the pace of Israeli strikes, would show whether the truce can hold. Gaza health authorities say at least 1,600 Palestinians have died since it began.