Israeli officials said a targeted airstrike eliminated a senior Hamas commander involved in planning the Oct. 7, 2023, assault on Israel, marking the most prominent killing since the ceasefire took effect.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
The Israeli military carried out a targeted airstrike in Gaza City on Saturday that killed senior Hamas commander Raed Saad, a figure Israeli officials described as one of the architects of the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks on Israel.
The strike hit a vehicle in Gaza City carrying Saad, according to an Israeli defense official and Israeli media. Gaza health authorities said four people were killed in the attack. While there was initially no confirmation from Hamas or medical officials regarding Saad’s fate, the Israel Defense Forces later confirmed his death in a social media post.
“Every place where we identify that Hamas is trying to regroup, we act,” the IDF said in the statement. “Earlier today, the IDF eliminated Raad Saad, whose elimination constitutes a blow to Hamas’s attempts at regrouping and strengthening. We will not allow our enemies to regroup and rebuild their strength. We will continue to be committed to continuing the ceasefire agreement.”
Israeli officials described Saad as the head of Hamas’ weapons manufacturing force. Hamas-linked sources have also identified him as the second-in-command of the group’s armed wing, reporting directly under senior militant leader Izz al-Din al-Haddad. Saad previously led Hamas’ Gaza City battalion, considered one of the organization’s largest and most heavily equipped units.
The killing represents the highest-profile assassination of a senior Hamas figure since a ceasefire agreement took effect on Oct. 10. That truce followed more than a year of intense fighting sparked by the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on southern Israel, in which militants killed about 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and abducted 251 hostages.
Since the ceasefire began, hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians have returned to heavily damaged areas of Gaza City. Israeli forces have withdrawn from several urban positions, and humanitarian aid deliveries have increased.
Despite the truce, hostilities have not fully stopped. Palestinian health authorities say Israeli strikes have killed at least 386 people in Gaza since the ceasefire took effect. Israel has said three of its soldiers have been killed during the same period and that its forces have continued operations against what it describes as militant regrouping efforts.
Israeli officials have repeatedly stated that ceasefire arrangements do not preclude action against senior militant leaders they believe pose an ongoing threat.
Original article
Comments