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Israel launched an attack against a senior Hamas commander in Gaza on Saturday, one of the most high-profile attacks since a US-brokered ceasefire in the Palestinian territory two months ago.
An Israeli military official said the strike targeting a vehicle in Gaza City killed Raed Saad, one of the architects of Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel and the second-in-command of its military wing.
Hamas did not immediately confirm whether Saad had been killed, but accused Israel of “deliberately trying to undermine and sabotage the ceasefire agreement through its escalating and continuing violations.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the attack was a response to an IED blast that slightly injured two Israeli soldiers in southern Gaza on Saturday. He said Saad was working to rebuild Hamas’s military capabilities.
The Israeli military said Saad was the head of Hamas’ weapons production headquarters and one of the last senior militants left in Gaza.
The attack is the latest incident to strain the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas brokered by US President Donald Trump, which took effect in October. The ceasefire ended more than two years of fighting in the bloodiest war in the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
According to Palestinian officials, Israel’s attack has killed more than 70,000 people, as well as caused a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. According to Israeli officials, 1,200 people were killed in Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attack, which triggered the war.
Although the ceasefire agreement has largely halted hostilities between the two sides, fighting has not stopped completely. According to Gaza’s health ministry, Israeli forces have killed more than 380 people and wounded more than 1,000 since the ceasefire took effect.
According to the Israeli military, three Israeli soldiers have been killed by Hamas militants since the ceasefire took effect.
Under the terms of the 20-point plan put forward by Trump, the ceasefire was meant to be accompanied by the disarmament of Hamas and the phased replacement of Israeli forces in Gaza by an international stabilization force.
This week, Netanyahu acknowledged that the first phase of the ceasefire – which required Hamas to hand over all living and dead hostages – was nearing completion and said the second phase could begin this month.
But key aspects of the next phase of the ceasefire, such as the mandate and composition of the stabilization force, have not been agreed upon. The Israeli army chief described the withdrawal of his forces into Gaza as a “new border line”, raising concerns that the process could stall before it is completed.
