Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Bornet .k
Israel’s military and Hamas have confirmed the death of Muhammad Abdul Salam al-Yazouri, the commander of Hamas’s Khan Younis Brigade, following an Israeli air strike in the southern Gaza Strip.
The strike took place on Thursday night, 10 September 2026, in Khan Younis, southern Gaza. Israel’s military and domestic security service, Shin Bet, announced the killing on Friday, while Hamas’s armed wing also confirmed al-Yazouri’s death.
Al-Yazouri, also known as Abu al-Haitham, was a member of Hamas’s higher leadership council and commander of the group’s Khan Younis Brigade, according to Hamas’s armed wing, the al-Qassam Brigades.
The Israel Defense Forces said al-Yazouri had been involved in advancing dozens of attacks against Israeli troops and in efforts to rebuild Hamas’s military capabilities in Gaza.
Hamas said al-Yazouri had played a prominent role in planning the 7 October 2023 attack on Israel.
The Israeli military said two other Hamas members were killed in the same strike: Hudheifa Muammar, described as a company commander, and Muhammad Bahjat Rashi, described as a member of the Khan Younis Brigade.
The IDF and Shin Bet said the strike was carried out in the Khan Younis area. The military released footage which it said showed the operation.
The strike followed an earlier report by Hamas and Palestinian media that al-Yazouri had been killed. The IDF initially confirmed that it had struck Hamas operatives in Khan Younis before later naming al-Yazouri among those killed.
The death of al-Yazouri marks another loss for Hamas’s military leadership in Gaza. The Khan Younis Brigade is one of Hamas’s principal military formations in the Gaza Strip.
Khan Younis is the second-largest city in Gaza and has been a major centre of Hamas activity during the war.
The previous commander of Hamas’s Khan Younis Brigade, Rafa’a Salameh, was killed in an Israeli strike in July 2024. Hamas military commander Muhammad Deif was also killed in that strike, according to Israel.
Israel said its forces under Southern Command remained deployed in the area and were conducting operations against what it described as immediate threats.
In a separate Israeli strike in Khan Younis on Thursday, the IDF said it killed Moamen Jabr Al-Sayed Abu Labda, who it identified as the commander of a Hamas sniper cell within the group’s Rafah Brigade.
The military said Abu Labda conducted sniper training across the Gaza Strip and worked to restore Hamas’s military capabilities.
The latest strike took place during a ceasefire that began in October 2025. The ceasefire halted large-scale fighting but did not end Israeli military operations in Gaza.
Israel has said its operations target Hamas members and armed threats. Hamas has accused Israel of violating the ceasefire through continued strikes and military activity.
The war began after Hamas-led fighters attacked southern Israel on 7 October 2023, killing about 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, according to Israeli authorities.
Israel’s military offensive in Gaza has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its casualty figures.
The death of al-Yazouri was confirmed by both parties to the conflict. Israel identified him as a Hamas commander involved in attacks against its forces, while Hamas identified him as a senior leader of its armed wing.
No independent account of the strike’s immediate impact on civilians in the surrounding area was available in the information released by the Israeli military and Hamas.
The Israeli military said its strike in Khan Younis targeted al-Yazouri, Muammar and Rashi. Hamas confirmed al-Yazouri’s death but did not provide a detailed public account of the other reported deaths.
Khan Younis has been repeatedly hit during the Gaza war and remains an area of military activity. The city has also hosted displaced families and civilians affected by repeated fighting.
The announcement of al-Yazouri’s death came as Israel continued military action in Gaza despite the ceasefire arrangement.
The IDF said its Southern Command forces were operating in line with the ceasefire agreement. Hamas and Palestinian authorities have continued to report deaths and injuries from Israeli attacks in Gaza.
The killing of a brigade commander is a significant development in the conflict because Hamas brigades form part of the group’s military command structure across the Gaza Strip.
The Khan Younis Brigade has operated in southern Gaza, where Israel has conducted multiple air and ground operations since the war began.
Both Israel and Hamas issued statements confirming al-Yazouri’s death on Friday. The confirmation ended uncertainty that followed the first reports of the strike.
Stone Reporters News will continue to monitor verified developments from Israel, Hamas, Palestinian authorities and international agencies concerning the conflict in Gaza.
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