The IDF confirmed Sunday afternoon that Hamas' Khan Younis Brigade Commander Rafa Salama was killed in an air strike the day before that also targeted the head of the group's armed wing, Mohammed Deif.
The IDF said Salama was one of Deif's closest associates and was involved in planning Hamas' Oct. 7 attack. His death, "significantly impedes Hamas' military capabilities," the military said. Hamas has not confirmed Salama's fate.
The army said that Salama joined Hamas in the early 1990s and became commander of the Khan Younis-Al Qarara Battalion under Mohammed Sinwar, brother of the terrorist organization's leader in Gaza Yahya Sinwar. He played a key role in the abduction of IDF soldier Gilad Shalit in 2006 and commanded Hamas' combat support and defensive plans during Operation Protective Edge in 2014.
In 2016, Salameh succeeded Sinwar as commander of the Khan Younis Brigade, overseeing rocket launches from Khan Younis toward Israeli territory. He also commanded two offensive terror tunnels razed by the IDF during Operation Guardian of the Walls in May 2021, where 18 terrorists attempting to infiltrate Israel were eliminated.
According to IDF intelligence estimates, dozens of bodies were brought to a hospital in central Gaza's Deir al-Balah following the strike in Al-Mawasi near Khan Younis, which Palestinians claim killed more than 90 people. The hospital has become a heavily fortified Hamas stronghold, making it difficult for the IDF to identify the bodies—one of which may be that of Deif.
Last December, the IDF dropped leaflets over Gaza offering a $400,000 reward for information leading to the capture of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, $300,000 for his brother Mohammed, $200,000 for Salama and $100,000 for Deif.
In February, IDF Spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari revealed footage of Sinwar in a tunnel and disclosed that Salama's father was among those arrested during IDF operations in Khan Younis. "He is providing us with significant intelligence during Shin Bet interrogations," Hagari then said.
That same month, the IDF released footage of a face-to-face battle in Gaza near Salama's home in western Khan Younis. The footage showed Paratroopers Brigade fighters eliminating a terrorist who approached them, threw a grenade and charged at them with a knife.