The Israeli military announced on Saturday that it had killed senior Hamas commander Raed Saed in a strike on a car in Gaza City. Saed was described by Israeli officials as the head of Hamas's force buildup and one of the architects of the 7 October 2023 attack on Israel.
The attack killed four people and wounded at least 25 others, according to Gaza health authorities. There was no immediate confirmation from Hamas or medics that Saed was among the dead. If confirmed, his death would be the most significant assassination of a senior Hamas figure since the ceasefire deal in October.
The Israeli military said the strike was in response to the activation of a Hamas explosive device that wounded two reserve soldiers earlier on Saturday in southern Gaza. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz instructed the elimination of Saed, according to a joint statement.
Hamas sources described Saed as the second-in-command of the group's armed wing, after Izz eldeen al-Hadad, and a former head of Hamas's Gaza City battalion, one of the largest and best equipped. An Israeli defence official said Saed was the head of Hamas's weapons manufacturing force.
The war in Gaza began after Hamas-led militants killed 1,200 people and seized 251 hostages on 7 October 2023. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed more than 70,700 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials. The October ceasefire has allowed hundreds of thousands to return to Gaza City, but violence has continued, with at least 386 Palestinians and three Israeli soldiers killed since the truce.
