Israeli Strike in Gaza Kills Senior Hamas Figure, Leaves Four Dead as Fragile Ceasefire Holds

GAZA CITY, Dec 14: Israel has said it killed a senior Hamas commander in a targeted air strike on a vehicle in Gaza City on Saturday, an attack that also left at least four people dead and several others wounded, according to Palestinian emergency officials.

In a brief statement, the Israeli military said it had “struck a key Hamas terrorist” in Gaza City, without immediately releasing the individual’s name. The Hamas-run Civil Defence agency confirmed that four people were killed in the strike and said several passers-by were injured by the blast.

Local sources identified the apparent target as Raed Saad, a senior commander in Hamas’s armed wing, the Qassam Brigades. The BBC said it was unable to independently verify the details of the incident, as Israel restricts international media access inside Gaza.

Saad is believed to be a member of a newly formed five-member Hamas military leadership council established after a ceasefire came into effect in October. He is regarded as one of the most prominent commanders in the Qassam Brigades and is accused by Israel of leading several units during the Hamas-led attacks on Israeli communities east of Gaza City on October 7, 2023.

Israeli authorities have attempted to kill Saad multiple times over the past two decades. One of the most high-profile attempts occurred in March 2024, when Israeli forces reportedly launched a surprise operation in Gaza City aimed at capturing or killing him. Sources at the time said Saad had been inside the targeted compound but escaped shortly before the raid.

Saturday’s strike occurred on the Palestinian-controlled side of the so-called Yellow Line, which has divided Gaza since an unstable US-led ceasefire took effect on October 10. Israeli forces currently control territory east of the line, amounting to slightly more than half of the Gaza Strip.

The ceasefire followed months of intense fighting sparked by the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and more than 250 taken hostage. Under the first phase of US President Donald Trump’s 20-point peace plan, all 20 living hostages and the remains of 28 others were to be returned.

All have since been handed over except for the remains of Israeli police officer Ran Gvili, 24, who is believed to have been killed while fighting Hamas gunmen at Kibbutz Alumim.

According to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry, more than 70,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli military action since the start of the war.

Diplomatic efforts are now shifting to the next phase of President Trump’s plan, which calls for the disarmament of Hamas as part of a broader strategy to “de-radicalize” and rebuild Gaza. The proposal envisions the territory being administered by a temporary, technocratic Palestinian committee under the oversight of a US-chaired “Board of Peace,” with security provided by an International Stabilization Force.

The plan ultimately aims for a reformed Palestinian Authority to assume control of Gaza and for Israeli forces to withdraw, laying the groundwork for a future pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood.

Many elements of the proposal remain highly controversial, particularly in Israel, where Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly rejected the establishment of a Palestinian state. Trump is scheduled to meet Netanyahu in the United States on December 29 to discuss the next steps of the plan.