Israel targets senior Hamas commander in Gaza strike

The Israeli military shot down a car in Gaza City carrying senior Hamas commander Raed Saed, one of the architects of the attacks on Israel, on October 7, 2023, according to an Israeli defense official and Israeli media.

Four people died in Saturday’s attack, according to Gaza health officials. There has been no confirmation yet from Hamas or medical officials as to whether Saed is among the dead.

The Israeli military said it targeted a senior Hamas commander in Gaza City, without naming him or providing further details.

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

The Israeli defense official described Saed as the head of Hamas’ weapons production force.

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

Sources said Saed headed the Gaza City battalion, one of Hamas’ largest and best-equipped battalions.

The war in Gaza began when Hamas-led militants launched an attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251 hostages. Health officials in Gaza say more than 70,700 Palestinians, mostly civilians, have been killed in Israel’s retaliatory offensive.

The October 10 ceasefire allowed hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to return to the ruins of Gaza city. Israel withdrew its soldiers from urban positions and aid flows increased.

However, the violence has not stopped completely. Palestinian health officials say Israeli forces have killed at least 386 people in attacks in Gaza since the ceasefire. Israel says three of its soldiers have been killed and several other fighters have been attacked since the ceasefire began.