Israeli military forces announced on Friday (September 11) that they had killed a senior commander of Hamas’s Khan Younis Brigade in a airstrike launched in southern Gaza the day before. Hamas also confirmed the news. According to the Israeli newspaper “Israel Hayom,” the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and Shin Bet stated in a joint statement that the Khan Younis Brigade commander, Mohammed Abdel Salam al-Yazouri, was involved in planning dozens of attacks against the Israeli army and was dedicated to restoring Hamas’s combat capabilities.
Before Israel issued the above statement, Hamas had already announced the death of al-Yazouri, noting his significant role in planning an attack against Israel on October 7, 2023. That attack led Israel to declare war on Hamas and vow to eliminate the Hamas military organization. The Israeli Defense Forces stated that the airstrike on Khan Younis in Gaza also killed the brigade’s deputy commander Hudheifa Muammar and another Hamas member, Muhammad Bahjat Rashi.
Additionally, in another airstrike on Khan Younis on Thursday, the Israeli military killed the commander of a sniper team under the Rafah Brigade of Hamas, Moamen Jabr Al-Sayed Abu Labda. The Israeli military claimed that Abu Labda had conducted sniper training across Gaza in preparation for attacks and had attempted to restore Hamas’s combat capabilities, a move that “systematically violated the ceasefire agreement.”
Former Khan Younis Brigade commander Rafa’a Salameh was killed in July 2024 along with Hamas military chief Muhammad Deif. The targeted strikes against Hamas commanders underscore the ongoing tensions between Israel and Hamas in the region. The exchange of fire and targeted killings threaten to escalate the conflict further, adding to the already volatile situation in the Gaza Strip. Israeli authorities have vowed to continue targeting Hamas operatives involved in planning and executing attacks against Israel in an effort to maintain security and deter further violence in the region.