Israel eliminates one of Hamas' key commanders in Gaza, Reuters reports
Illustrative photo: Hamas militants (Getty Images)
Israel said it had killed senior Hamas commander Raed Saed in Gaza, according to Reuters.
Israeli forces said a senior Hamas commander, Raed Saed, was killed on Saturday, December 13, in a strike on a vehicle in Gaza. Saed was described as one of the "architects" of the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel.
According to Reuters, this was the highest-profile killing of a senior Hamas figure since a ceasefire in Gaza came into force in October.
In a joint statement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz said Saed was targeted in response to a Hamas attack in which an explosive device wounded two Israeli soldiers.
Gaza health authorities said five people were killed and at least 25 were injured when the vehicle exploded. However, there has been no immediate independent confirmation that Saed was among the dead.
Ceasefire context
On October 8, US President Donald Trump said Israel and Hamas had agreed, after talks in Egypt, to the first phase of a US-backed peace plan. A ceasefire came into effect two days later, with Israeli forces pulling back to a buffer zone around Gaza and Palestinians beginning to return home.
On October 13, leaders of the US, Egypt, and Türkiye signed an agreement in Sharm el-Sheikh aimed at ending the war in Gaza. Under the deal, Hamas committed to releasing all hostages held since 2023 and returning the bodies of those who died in captivity.
Earlier this month, reports said Trump was preparing to unveil a second phase of the Gaza settlement plan, including a new governance framework for the enclave, potentially before Christmas.
