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, described by Israel as a key figure in Hamas's force buildup and one of the architects of the October 7, 2023 attack, would be the most senior militant killed since a ceasefire took effect in October.
The strike reportedly killed four people and wounded at least 25 others, according to Gaza health authorities. Hamas and medics have not confirmed Saed's death. The operation was ordered by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz in response to a Hamas explosive device that wounded two Israeli reserve soldiers in southern Gaza earlier on Saturday.
Hamas sources identified Saed as the second-in-command of the group's armed wing, after Izz eldeen al-Hadad, and former head of its Gaza City battalion. An Israeli defence official said Saed was targeted as head of Hamas's weapons manufacturing force.
The war began after Hamas-led militants killed 1,200 people and seized 251 hostages on October 7, 2023. Israel's subsequent offensive has killed over 70,700 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials. The October ceasefire has allowed hundreds of thousands to return to Gaza City, but violence persists, with at least 386 Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes since the truce, according to Palestinian authorities.
