Israel kills senior Hamas commander, Raed Saed, in Gaza strike: Reports

There was no immediate confirmation from Hamas or from medics that Saed was among the dead.

The Israeli military killed senior Hamas commander Raed Saed, one of the architects of the October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel, in a strike on a car in Gaza City, several Israeli media outlets reported, citing sources.

The attack on Saturday killed four people and wounded at least 25 others, according to Gaza health authorities.

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There was no immediate confirmation from Hamas or from medics that Saed was among the dead.

The Israeli military said it had targeted a senior Hamas commander in Gaza City, without giving a name or details.

In a post on Telegram, the army alleged that the commander had been operating to re-establish Hamas’s capabilities, which have been severely depleted for more than two years of Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza.

If Saed was killed, it would be the highest-profile assassination of a senior Hamas figure since a ceasefire deal came into effect in October.

An Israeli defense official told the Reuters news agency Saed had been targeted in the attack, describing him as the head of Hamas’ weapons manufacturing force.

Hamas sources have also described him as the second-in-command of the group’s armed wing, after Izz eldeen Al-Hadad.

Saed used to head Hamas’ Gaza City battalion, one of the group’s largest and best-equipped, those sources said.

The Wafa news agency reported that an Israeli drone hit a vehicle at the Nabulsi junction in the west of Gaza City, resulting in casualties.

The agency did not report on specific numbers, and it was not clear if the attack was the one who allegedly killed the Hamas member.

Since the ceasefire started in October, Israel has continued to attack Gaza daily – reaching nearly 800 times – in a clear breach of the agreement, according to authorities in Gaza.

Israel also continues to block the majority of aid trucks from entering the enclave. The United Nations General Assembly on Friday overwhelmingly backed to resolution demanding that Israel open unrestricted humanitarian access to the Gaza Strip, stop attacking UN facilities, and comply with international law, in line with its obligations as an occupying power.