Israel launched an airstrike on a refugee camp in the Gaza Strip, killing one of the commanders of the armed Hamas group, and claimed it has the right to attack remaining militants under the ceasefire conditions.
On Sunday, 15 Nov 2026 GMT+7, officials from both Israel and Gaza confirmed that 53-year-old Samir Abu Yunis, the new commander of Hamas' "Rafah Brigade," was killed in an Israeli airstrike on Saturday at the Al-Waha refugee camp in the Al-Mawasi area in southern Gaza.
Witnesses in Gaza reported that four missiles targeted tents in the displaced persons' camp, causing fires. There was one death and three injuries. The Al-Qassam Brigades condemned the incident as a "cowardly assassination."
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Israeli Security Agency (ISA) confirmed the killing of Abu Yunis, stating that civilian harm mitigation measures were taken before the strike. They asserted that Israel retains the right to attack remaining militants under the ceasefire agreement.
The IDF stated that Abu Yunis was a key leader in the Al-Qassam armed group, playing a major role in planning and directing the attacks on Israel on 7 Oct 2023, which ignited the ongoing Gaza war.
Abu Yunis had just assumed command of the Rafah Brigade on 15 Sept, replacing Nael Abu Obed, who was killed in an Israeli strike.
Hamas announced that Abu Yunis's funeral would be held Sunday afternoon local time in Khan Yunis city, southern Gaza Strip.
Although a ceasefire agreement was reached in October 2025, Israel has continued to attack Hamas, resulting in over 1,640 additional deaths in Gaza since the ceasefire began, bringing the total death toll in Gaza since the war started to more than 74,650.
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Source:BBC