Gaza Strike Targets Senior Hamas Commander During Fragile Ceasefire:

Israeli military said that it killed a senior Hamas commander named Raed Saad in an air strike in Gaza City on Saturday. According to Gaza health authorities, the attack killed five people and injured at least 25 others. Hamas has not confirmed the death of Raed Saad. In a statement, the group said that a civilian vehicle was hit near Gaza City. Hamas also said that this attack was a violation of the ceasefire that began in October. The group accused Israel of breaking the agreement by continuing military operations. In a message posted on Telegram, the Israeli army claimed that Raed Saad was working to rebuild Hamas’s military strength, which Israel says has been badly weakened after more than two years of war in Gaza. The army also described Saad as one of the key planners of the October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel. If Raed Saad was indeed killed, it would be the most high-profile killing of a Hamas leader since the ceasefire came into effect. The ceasefire has been described as fragile, with repeated accusations of violations. An Israeli defence official told the Reuters news agency that Saad was the main target of the strike. The official said Saad was the head of Hamas’s weapons manufacturing unit, which is responsible for producing arms for the group. Sources within Hamas have given a different description of Saad’s role. They said he was the second-in-command of Hamas’s armed wing, ranking just below Izz al-Din al-Haddad. These sources also said that Saad previously led Hamas’s Gaza City battalion, which is considered one of the group’s largest and best-equipped units. The Palestinian Wafa news agency reported that an Israeli drone struck a vehicle at the Nabulsi junction in western Gaza City. The attack caused several casualties, but Wafa did not provide exact numbers. It is also unclear whether this was the same attack that Israel says killed Raed Saad. Since the ceasefire began in October, Gaza authorities say that Israel has continued to carry out daily attacks on the territory. According to them, Israel has launched nearly 800 attacks, killing at least 386 people during this period. Gaza officials say these actions clearly violate the ceasefire agreement. In addition, Israel continues to block most aid trucks from entering Gaza. This has worsened the humanitarian crisis, leaving many people without enough food, medicine, or basic supplies. On Friday, the United Nations General Assembly overwhelmingly supported a resolution calling on Israel to allow unrestricted humanitarian aid into Gaza. The resolution also demanded that Israel stop attacking UN facilities and follow international law, as required of an occupying power. Despite international pressure, the situation in Gaza remains tense, with ongoing violence, limited aid access, and uncertainty about whether the ceasefire will hold.

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