A targeted Israeli drone strike in western Gaza City on Saturday resulted in the death of Raad Saad, a high-ranking Hamas military commander. The Israeli military confirmed the operation, stating it was coordinated with the Shin Bet intelligence agency and targeted what they identified as Hamas’s production headquarters.
According to Israeli media, the strike hit Saad’s vehicle near al-Nabulsi square, killing him and three others. Conflicting casualty reports emerged, with Gaza’s health ministry reporting four fatalities and at least 25 wounded, while Al Jazeera Arabic placed the death toll at five.
The Israeli military described Saad as “one of the last senior veterans remaining in the Gaza Strip” who had held numerous leadership positions and was closely associated with Marwan Issa, deputy head of Hamas’s military wing. An Israeli defense official identified him as head of Hamas’s weapons manufacturing operations, with Reuters sources indicating he was second only to the group’s current military chief, Izz al-Din al-Haddad.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office stated the operation was ordered in response to a recent explosion that injured Israeli soldiers in Gaza. They characterized the strike as targeting Hamas’s efforts to “restore its capabilities and strengthen itself” in recent weeks.
Hamas condemned the attack as “a blatant violation” of the October ceasefire agreement, accusing Israel of “deliberately seeking to undermine and sabotage the agreement through its escalating and continuous violations” in a Telegram post. The group did not confirm whether Saad was specifically targeted.
In a significant diplomatic development, Axios reported that Israel had not provided advance warning of the strike to the United States government.