Hamas Commander Killed in Gaza Air Strike
The Hamas commander killed in Gaza on Saturday was Samir Abu Younis, the head of the group’s Rafah brigade, Hamas has confirmed. He died in an Israeli drone strike in the al-Mawasi area of Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip.
Abu Younis, 53, was hit as he walked in a street in al-Mawasi, a coastal strip crowded with displaced Palestinians living in tents. Two other people were wounded in the strike, medics said. The casualties were taken to Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis.
Hamas commander killed in Gaza: what happened in al-Mawasi
Israel’s military and the Shin Bet security agency said in a joint statement that they had struck a senior member of Hamas’s military wing in a drone strike in Khan Younis on Saturday. They did not name the target at first.
Hamas sources told Reuters the strike had killed Abu Younis, and the group later confirmed his death. Defence Minister Israel Katz had already signalled on social media, shortly after the military’s announcement, that the target had been killed.
Gaza’s civil defence said it had recovered Abu Younis’s body. Video verified by Al Jazeera and posted by Palestinian journalists showed ambulances inside the grounds of Nasser Medical Complex and stretchers stained with blood.
A commander who had only recently taken charge
Abu Younis commanded the Rafah brigade of Hamas’s armed wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades. He had served in the wing since 1991 and held several senior operational roles in Rafah. He was also a member of the brigades’ General Military Council.
He had only recently taken command of the brigade after his predecessor, Nael Abu Obeid, was killed in an Israeli strike in Khan Younis on September 15. Hamas said his funeral would be held on Sunday afternoon in Khan Younis.
Ceasefire under strain
The strike came more than a month after a ceasefire took effect on October 11, 2025. The truce halted major fighting, but it has not stopped Israeli attacks, and Hamas has not been disarmed.
Gaza’s Health Ministry said in its latest update on Saturday that Israeli attacks had killed 16 people and injured 68 others over the past 48 hours. Since the ceasefire began, at least 1,643 Palestinians have been killed and 5,964 injured, while 850 bodies have been recovered from under the rubble. Since October 2023, the ministry puts the toll at 74,695 killed and 176,093 injured.
Al-Mawasi was set aside as a humanitarian zone, yet Israel has attacked it repeatedly. The ministry also reported that deaths linked to the cold had risen to 11 after a nine-month-old baby died from hypothermia, the first such death this winter. Most of Gaza’s people are displaced, living in tents and damaged buildings as heavy rain has set in.
What it means for Pakistan
The killing comes a day after Pakistan joined 16 other countries in condemning an Israeli strike on a hospital in southern Gaza. Islamabad has pressed for de-escalation at the United Nations Security Council as the war grinds on.
For Pakistan, the strike is a reminder that the Gaza ceasefire remains fragile. Seven people were killed in Gaza earlier this month, including a father and his 13-year-old son. Tensions have also flared at sea, where three oil tankers were hit by mines in the Strait of Hormuz. Russia and China have urged an immediate end to the war against Iran at the United Nations.
Hamas has announced a funeral for Sunday afternoon. The strike is likely to raise fresh questions about whether the ceasefire can hold, and whether further rounds of talks can stop the steady toll of attacks.
Frequently asked questions
Who was Samir Abu Younis?
He was the 53-year-old commander of the Rafah brigade of Hamas’s armed wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades. He had served in the wing since 1991 and sat on its General Military Council.
Where and when was he killed?
He was killed on Saturday, November 14, 2026, in an Israeli drone strike in the al-Mawasi area of Khan Younis, in southern Gaza. Two other people were wounded.
How many people have been killed in Gaza since the ceasefire?
Gaza’s Health Ministry says at least 1,643 Palestinians have been killed and 5,964 injured since the ceasefire took effect on October 11, 2025. Since October 2023, the toll stands at 74,695 killed and 176,093 injured.
What is al-Mawasi?
Al-Mawasi is a coastal strip west of Khan Younis that was set aside as a humanitarian zone. It is crowded with displaced Palestinians living in tents, and Israel has attacked it repeatedly.
What has Pakistan said about Gaza?
Pakistan joined 16 other countries in condemning an Israeli strike on a hospital in southern Gaza, and it has urged de-escalation at the United Nations Security Council.
