Israel Executes Targeted Strike on Senior Hamas Commander Amid Ongoing Conflict

Sat Dec 13 2025 20:56:44 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

In a significant aerial assault, Israeli forces claim to have eliminated a senior Hamas official in Gaza, escalating tensions amid an ongoing humanitarian crisis in the region.

Israel has confirmed the death of a senior Hamas commander, Raed Saad, following an airstrike in Gaza City. The strike reportedly resulted in four fatalities, including passers-by, raising concerns over civilian safety amid ongoing military operations. As Israel continues its efforts against Hamas, questions arise about the broader implications for peace in the region and the humanitarian toll of the conflict.

Israel said it killed a senior Hamas commander on Saturday in a strike on a vehicle inside Gaza.

In a statement, the Israeli military said it had struck a key Hamas terrorist in Gaza City.

The Hamas-run Civil Defence spokesman, Mahmoud Basal, told the BBC that four people were killed in the strike. He said multiple passers-by were also injured by the blast.

Local sources reported that the strike may have targeted Raed Saad, a senior commander in Hamas's armed wing, the Qassam Brigades.

The BBC is prevented by Israel from reporting independently from inside Gaza and is unable to verify details of the incident. Saad is believed to be a member of the newly formed five-member leadership military council established since a ceasefire took hold in October.

He is regarded as one of the most prominent Qassam commanders and led several brigades during Hamas's 7 October attacks on Israeli communities east of Gaza City.

Israel has attempted to kill him on multiple occasions. One notable attempt was during a surprise operation in Gaza City in March 2024, when forces reportedly sought to arrest or kill him, but he managed to escape.

Saturday's attack happened on the Palestinian-controlled side of the so-called Yellow Line, which has divided Gaza since an unstable US-led ceasefire came into effect on 10 October.

The first phase of US President Donald Trump's 20-point plan for peace in the region required the return of all hostages taken in the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023. Since then, according to Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry, more than 70,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli military action.

The diplomatic focus is now on the next stage of Trump's plan requiring the disarmament of Hamas, envisaging Gaza being run by a temporary transitional governance committee overseen by an International Stabilisation Force, with the aim of establishing a pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood.