IDF: Top Hamas Commander Raad Saad Killed in Gaza City Strike, Key Planner of October 7 Attack

A top Hamas commander, Raad Saad, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City on Saturday, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Israel stated the strike was in response to Hamas's violations of a ceasefire agreement.

Saad headed Hamas's weapons manufacturing operations and helped plan the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel. He was considered a leading member of Hamas's military leadership in Gaza, second only to the group’s current military chief, Izz al-Din Haddad.

The airstrike hit a vehicle on the coastal Rashid Road, within the Hamas-controlled area of Gaza, Palestinian media sources reported. They stated that four people were killed and more than 20 were injured in the strike.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz issued a joint statement saying the strike targeting Saad was a response to the injury of two Israeli troops earlier that day in southern Gaza, caused by an explosive device.

The IDF said in its statement that in recent weeks there had been "repeated attempts by the Hamas terror organization to carry out terrorist attacks… including the use of explosive devices against IDF troops.” The IDF characterized these actions as “a blatant violation of the agreement.”

The IDF added that it had identified attempts by Hamas to rebuild its capabilities. The military emphasized that Saad spearheaded Hamas’s force buildup, and his death is “a significant blow” to the organization.