Hamas Gaza chief confirms killing of senior commander in Israeli strike

Hamas’ Gaza chief, Khalil Al-Hayya, confirmed on Sunday that the group’s senior commander, Raed Saed, was killed in an Israeli strike the day before.

Saed’s killing is the highest-profile assassination of a senior Hamas figure since the Gaza ceasefire came into effect in October.

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The Israeli military targeted a car in Gaza City carrying Saed, who was one of the planners of the October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel, according to Israeli officials and media reports. Gaza health authorities said four people were killed in the strike.

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The Israeli defence official described Saed as the head of Hamas' weapon manufacturing force.

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

He also previously headed Hamas’ Gaza City battalion, one of its largest and best-equipped units.

The conflict in Gaza started after Hamas militants killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took 251 hostages in an attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023. Israel’s retaliatory strikes have killed more than 70,700 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials.

Since the ceasefire on October 10, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have been able to return to Gaza City. Israeli troops have withdrawn from city positions, and aid deliveries have increased.