Israeli strike kills Hamas commander amid ceasefire violations

Hamas has confirmed the death of its Rafah Brigade commander, Samir Abu Yunus, also known as 'Abu Mahmoud', following an Israeli strike in the besieged Gaza Strip despite an ongoing ceasefire, according to Al Jazeera.

Abu Yunus had assumed command of the Rafah Brigade after his predecessor, Nael Abu Obeid—known as 'Abu Atiya'—was killed in September 2026.

The confirmation comes on the heels of an Israeli military strike on Gaza's Nasser Medical Complex on Thursday. Israel claimed the operation targeted Muhammad Abu Ismail, commander of Hamas's Khan Younis Brigade, alongside several fighters allegedly sheltering inside the facility.

However, the attack killed six people, including a doctor and a child.

Hamas strongly condemned the hospital strike, labelling it a "war crime." The group dismissed Israel's justification of targeting militants as a "blatant attempt to cover up a fresh war crime committed against a civilian medical facility" protected under international law.

In an earlier statement, Hamas urged international mediators and the US administration to take decisive action to halt ongoing Israeli violations and enforce adherence to the ceasefire.

According to Gaza health authorities, at least 1,600 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks since the ceasefire officially came into effect.

-SA