Cairo, December 13, 2025: Israeli forces killed senior Hamas commander Raed Saed, one of the architects of the October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel, in a strike on a car in Gaza City on Saturday, according to several Israeli media reports citing sources.
The attack also killed three others and wounded at least 25, according to Gaza health authorities. Hamas and local medics have not immediately confirmed Saed’s death.
The Israeli military said it targeted a senior Hamas commander in Gaza City but did not release a name or further details. If confirmed, Saed’s killing would mark the highest-profile assassination of a Hamas leader since the ceasefire agreement that came into effect in October 2025.
An Israeli defence official identified Saed as the head of Hamas’ weapons manufacturing force. Hamas sources have described him as the second-in-command of the group’s armed wing, after Izz eldeen Al-Hadad, and noted that he previously led Hamas’ Gaza City battalion, one of the largest and best-equipped units.
Earlier, the Israeli military said two soldiers were injured by an explosive device that “detonated during an operation to clear the area” of militant infrastructure, though it was unclear whether this incident was related to the airstrike.
The ongoing conflict in Gaza began after Hamas launched attacks on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing over 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251 hostages. Israel’s retaliatory offensive has resulted in the deaths of more than 70,700 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials.
Following a ceasefire on October 10, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have returned to Gaza City, and aid flows have increased. However, violence has continued intermittently, with Palestinian authorities reporting at least 386 deaths from Israeli strikes since the truce, while Israel reports three soldiers killed and numerous Hamas fighters targeted.
