Israel said on Saturday (December 13th) it had killed Raed Saad, a senior Hamas commander in Gaza, after an explosive device exploded in the south of the territory, wounding two Israeli soldiers. The attack took place west of Gaza City and killed four people while wounding three others from Al-Awda Hospital, according to an Associated Press journalist.
Who is Raed Saad?
Raed Saad served as a Hamas official in charge of weapons production and previously headed the group’s operations division. Israel described him as one of the masterminds of the October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel that killed about 1,200 people and took 251 hostages, sparking the ongoing conflict.
Israeli authorities said Saad was “involved in the renewal of a terrorist organization” in violation of the ceasefire, which came into effect on 10 October 2025.
Hamas’s response
Hamas has not confirmed Saad’s death. In a statement, the group claimed a civilian vehicle had been hit outside Gaza City and described the attack as a violation of the October ceasefire.
Ongoing tensions and sacrifices
Israel and Hamas repeatedly accuse each other of violating the ceasefire. Since the ceasefire, Israeli airstrikes and shelling have reportedly killed at least 386 Palestinians, Palestinian health officials said. Israel says its strikes are in response to attacks against its soldiers.
Armistice terms and the hostage problem
Israel has demanded the return of the last hostage, Ran Gvili, from Gaza before moving on to the next phase of the ceasefire. This next phase outlines a plan to end Hamas rule and rebuild Gaza under international supervision.
Humanitarian impact
Gaza suffered widespread destruction and more than 2 million residents were displaced. The Palestinian Ministry of Health, which operates under the Hamas-run government, reports that more than 70,650 Palestinians, roughly half of them women and children, have died during the two-year conflict.
