Israeli strike in Khan Younis kills Hamas Rafah brigade commander Samir Abu Younis

The strike in Khan Younis

Israel's military and the Shin Bet security service said in a joint statement that they had targeted a senior Hamas military commander in Khan Younis, in southern Gaza. Palestinian security sources and Hamas later identified the dead man as Samir Abu Younis, 53, who led the Rafah brigade of the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas's armed wing. The attack hit a tent sheltering displaced people in al-Mawasi, a coastal area on the Mediterranean that is crowded with displaced Palestinians. Two others were wounded and taken to Nasser Medical Complex. Al Jazeera and Blick date the strike to Saturday, 14 November, while Deutsche Welle places it in the early hours of Sunday, 15 November. Hamas's armed wing said Abu Younis had been among the most important commanders in planning the attack of 7 October 2023, and Spiegel reported that he had served in the Qassam Brigades since 1991. Hamas set his funeral for Sunday afternoon in Khan Younis.

Ceasefire under strain

Israel and Hamas accuse each other of violating the ceasefire that took effect on 10 October 2025, according to AFP, ending two years of war that began with Hamas's attack on Israel on 7 October 2023. Israel has continued its strikes, and Hamas has not disarmed or fully handed over control of Gaza. Gaza's Health Ministry, whose figures the UN considers reliable, counted at least 1,643 Palestinians killed and 5,964 injured since the truce, in its update on Saturday. In the 48 hours before that update, the ministry recorded 16 deaths and 68 injuries. Israeli military losses vary by source: one report cites at least five soldiers killed in the past year, Spiegel cites four since the ceasefire, and Deutsche Welle cites seven soldiers plus one civilian contractor.

Hospital strike and the deadliest day

On Thursday, 12 November, Israeli strikes killed 11 people in Gaza, according to Palestinian rescue teams, making it the deadliest day since Israel's legislative elections of 27 October. Israel also struck Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis on Thursday, one of the largest clinics in the territory. A Gaza civil defence spokesman said at least six people were killed, including a surgeon, and 20 others were wounded, with the hospital's surgical department hit. Israel said the operation targeted a senior Hamas member and other fighters, and accused Hamas of using the clinic complex as a command centre and weapons store. Those claims could not be independently verified. Hamas condemned the strike as a war crime. Al Jazeera also reported that a nine-month-old baby died of hypothermia, the first cold-related death this winter, raising the number of such deaths to 11.

Politics in Israel

Gadi Eisenkot, a former chief of staff and rival of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is leading negotiations to form a coalition government, according to AFP. Netanyahu's term is ending, but he remains in command and keeps responsibility for military operations. Netanyahu has put Israel's security at the centre of his political message. The Israeli army has said it will publish further details of the strike later.