Israel’s military announced it killed senior Hamas commander Raed Saad in a strike in Gaza City on Saturday, amid rising concerns over continued violence in the enclave.

Gaza authorities report five killed and at least 25 wounded in the attack.

The Israeli army claimed that Raed Saad, described as the head of Hamas’s weapons manufacturing unit and a key strategist behind the October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel, was killed in the strike.

The attack reportedly targeted a vehicle near the Nabulsi junction in western Gaza City. Gaza health authorities confirmed casualties but did not specifically identify Saad among the dead.

Hamas, in a statement, did not confirm Saad’s death. The group said a civilian vehicle had been struck outside Gaza City, condemning it as a violation of the ceasefire that began in October.

Raed Saad’s role in Hamas

According to Israeli and Hamas sources, Saad was one of the most senior commanders of Hamas’s armed wing, previously leading the Gaza City battalion, one of the group’s largest and best-equipped units.

Hamas insiders also described him as the second-in-command of the armed wing, after Izz al-Din al-Haddad. Israel accused him of attempting to rebuild Hamas’s capabilities, which have been weakened over two years of conflict.

Since the ceasefire in October, Israel has reportedly carried out nearly 800 attacks in Gaza, killing at least 386 people, according to local authorities. Israel continues to restrict the entry of aid trucks, worsening humanitarian conditions.

On Friday, the UN General Assembly passed a resolution demanding that Israel allow unrestricted humanitarian aid into Gaza, cease attacks on UN facilities, and comply with international law as an occupying power.