Israel confirms killing of senior Hamas commander

The Israeli military confirmed that its forces killed a senior Hamas commander in a strike in the Gaza Strip on Saturday.



The Israel Defense Forces and the Shin Bet security agency said in a joint statement that Ra'ad Sa'ad, head of the weapons production headquarters in Hamas' military wing, was killed.



The Israeli military described Sa'ad as one of the planners of the Hamas-led attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and "one of the last remaining senior militants" in Gaza.



It also claimed that Sa'ad was "directly responsible for violations of the ceasefire agreement" by Hamas in recent months, accusing him of leading the continued production of weapons during the ceasefire.



Hamas did not confirm the death of Sa'ad, but accused Israel of attempting to derail the U.S.-brokered ceasefire.



"The continued crimes in Gaza, including the attack on a civilian vehicle in western Gaza City, constitute a blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement signed according to U.S. President Donald Trump's plan," Hamas said in a statement.