Senior Hamas Khan Yunis Brigade Commander Muhammad Yazouri Eliminated

A senior Hamas commander in the Gaza Strip was eliminated in an airstrike: Muhammad Yazouri, commander of the Khan Yunis Brigade in the terrorist organization, was killed Thursday evening in Al-Mawasi. The IDF and Shin Bet announced that Yazouri was eliminated in an airstrike in the area under his command. Hamas sources told the newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat that Yazouri was not identified immediately due to difficulties in identifying his body. It was also reported that losing contact with him prompted several of his associates to check whether he was the target of the strike. Yazouri took command of the Khan Yunis Brigade shortly after the assassinations of senior Hamas figures Izz al-Din al-Haddad and Muhammad Odeh. Yazouri previously commanded the central and western Khan Yunis sectors before becoming the overall brigade commander. For years, he also held other leadership positions in the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, including leading the intelligence mechanism responsible for preparations for the October 7 massacre. The eliminated senior official survived several previous assassination attempts, both during the current war and years prior. One of the most significant assassination attempts Yazouri survived occurred in 2021, when Yahya and Muhammad Sinwar were among those staying alongside him.