Hamas confirms Rafah Brigade commander’s death
The IDF and Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) said they eliminated Samir Mahmoud Hassan Abu Younis, commander of the Rafah Brigade in Hamas’ military wing, in an airstrike in the southern Gaza Strip overnight Saturday. Hamas’ military wing confirmed that Abu Younis, also known as Abu Mahmoud, was eliminated in the strike.
Shortly after midnight, the military initially announced that it had struck a senior Hamas military-wing commander in the Khan Younis area, with further details to follow.
According to the IDF, Abu Younis had commanded the Rafah Brigade for approximately two months, taking over after Israel eliminated Nael Abu Obeid on September 15. He previously served as the brigade’s deputy commander and commander of its Tel al-Sultan Battalion.
The IDF described Abu Younis as a key senior Hamas figure who directed terrorists to prepare and carry out attacks against Israeli civilians and IDF troops. It said he also worked to rebuild the brigade’s military capabilities and those of Hamas, which suffered severe damage throughout the war.
Hamas said Abu Younis was a veteran Al-Qassam Brigades commander who joined its military wing in 1991 and rose through the ranks. It described him as “one of the key commanders involved in planning and overseeing the October 7 attack.”
Although the IDF controls all of Rafah, Hamas continues to appoint commanders for its regional brigade, operating from the nearby Khan Younis area.
Abu Obeid, Abu Younis’ predecessor, was already the brigade’s second commander during the war. He succeeded Muhammad Shabana, who was eliminated on May 13, 2025, in a strike on a hospital that also eliminated Hamas leader Mohammad Sinwar.
The overnight strike followed Thursday’s Israeli strike on the Nasser Hospital complex in Khan Younis, which targeted the commander of Hamas’ Khan Younis Brigade.
Lebanese Army raids arms depot in Beirut’s southern suburbs
The Lebanese Army said its Intelligence Directorate raided a depot in the Musharrafieh neighborhood on November 13 after closely monitoring weapons transfers and trafficking.
Troops seized a large quantity of weapons and military ammunition and arrested a Lebanese citizen identified by the initials A.A. An investigation began under judicial supervision.
The neighborhood is in Beirut’s southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold. However, the army’s statement did not identify the weapons’ owner or link the depot to Hezbollah.
Security sources cited by Al Jadeed, according to Euronews, described the depot as belonging to two people involved in arms dealing. They said one suspect had been arrested and the second was being sought. Those accounts did not establish Hezbollah ownership of the seized weapons.
