Hamas confirms killing of senior commander in Israeli attack in Gaza
Hamas confirmed the killing of senior commander Raed Saed (also spelled Raed Saad or Ra’ad Sa’ad) in an Israeli airstrike near Gaza City.
The strike occurred on December 13, 2025, targeting a vehicle and resulting in five deaths and at least 25 injuries, according to Gaza health authorities. Israel described Saed as a key figure in Hamas’s military wing, involved in weapons production and the October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel.
Hamas Gaza leader Khalil al-Hayya acknowledged the death in a video on December 14, calling it a ceasefire violation since the October truce and urging U.S. mediators, including President Donald Trump, to enforce the agreement. This marks the highest-profile such assassination post-ceasefire.
Israel linked the strike to a prior Hamas explosive attack injuring two soldiers that day. Gaza reports nearly 800 Israeli assaults since the ceasefire, killing at least 386 people.
