Israel announced that it killed Raed Saed (pictured) in a car strike in Gaza City on Saturday
Ra'ad Sa'ad, an architect of the October 7 massacre, is eliminated
IAF eliminates Hamas terrorist Ra'ad Sa'ad in targeted attack in Gaza City. Sa'ad was considered Hamas' second-in-comand in Gaza.
The IDF on Shabbat (Sabbath) eliminated Hamas terrorist Ra'ad Sa'ad, one of the architects of the October 7 massacre, in Gaza City.
Sa'ad, considered Hamas' number two, served as head of the Production Directorate, responsible for the independent manufacturing of rocket launchers, missiles, and anti-tank weapons. He was among the founders of Hamas’ military wing and a member of the group’s exclusive military council in Gaza. In the past, he served as head of the Operations Division and commander of the Gaza Brigade.
"In recent weeks, repeated attempts by the Hamas terrorist organization to carry out terrorist activity, including the use of explosive devices against IDF troops -activities that constitute a blatant violation of the agreement, as occurred this morning," the IDF related. "At the same time, the IDF identified attempts by Hamas to rehabilitate and rebuild its capabilities. The terrorist Ra’ad Sa’ad, who was eliminated in this strike, led Hamas’ force build-up, and his elimination significantly degrades Hamas’ ability to reestablish its capabilities."
"Sa’ad was one of the last remaining veteran senior terrorists in the Gaza Strip. He held a series of senior positions and was a close associate of Marwan Issa, Deputy Head of Hamas’ military wing.
"Among his roles, he established the Gaza City Brigade, commanded it, and worked to establish the naval force in the Gaza Strip. After completing his tenure as commander of the Gaza Brigade, he was appointed Head of the Operations Headquarters of the organization, within which he established the Nukhba Battalions and participated in the shaping and construction of the 'Jericho Wall' plan, upon which Hamas’ plans for the October 7th massacre were based.
"Subsequently, Sa’ad was appointed Head of the Weapons Production Headquarters and was responsible for the production of all types of weapons for Hamas’ military wing ahead of the October 7th massacre, and later also for the rehabilitation of Hamas’ weapons production capabilities during the war. Sa’ad is responsible for the deaths of many soldiers who were killed in the Gaza Strip as a result of explosive devices manufactured by the Weapons Production Headquarters during the war."
The IDF added, "Ra’ad Sa’ad was a leading figure in the leadership of Hamas’ military wing in recent months and was directly responsible for violations of the ceasefire agreement by the Hamas terrorist organization. In addition, in his role, he led the continued production of weapons in the Gaza Strip during the ceasefire."
"Hamas’ weapon production apparatus is responsible for manufacturing weapons for the organization’s military wing. The IDF and ISA will continue to operate against the Hamas terrorist organization."
According to Saudi Arabian reports, Sa'ad was killed when three missiles were fired from the air at the vehicle in he was traveling. Additional reports stated that at least four people were killed in the strike and at least twenty were injured. Ra'ad Sa'ad was considered a major target, and this was not the first attempt to eliminate him.
A joint statement by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz read: "In response to the detonation of a Hamas explosive device that wounded our forces today in the yellow zone of the Gaza Strip, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz directed the elimination of the terrorist Ra’ad Sa'ad, head of Hamas’ force-build-up directorate."
"Sa'ad was one of the architects of the October 7th massacre and had recently been involved in rebuilding the terror organization, planning and carrying out attacks against Israel, and reestablishing an offensive capability, in blatant violation of the ceasefire terms and Hamas’ commitments to respect President Trump’s plan.
"Instead of promoting demilitarization, he was working to rearm for acts of terror."
The statement stressed: "Anyone who raises a hand against Israel and harms IDF soldiers will have that hand cut off - whether in Gaza or anywhere else."
"On behalf of all Israeli citizens, the Prime Minister and Defense Minister wish a speedy recovery to our wounded fighters."
Hours before the attempted elimination, two IDF reserve soldiers were lightly injured as a result of an explosive device that detonated during an operation to clear the area of terrorist infrastructure in the southern Gaza Strip.
The soldiers were evacuated to a hospital to receive medical treatment, and their families were notified.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/419231
IDF Profile: This is the Hamas commander eliminated over Shabbat
The IDF has published additional background on the Hamas deputy commander eliminated in Gaza City.
Ra’ad Sa’ad, a veteran and senior figure in Hamas’s military wing, was killed over Shabbat afternoon in an Israeli strike in western Gaza City, Israeli defense sources said.
Sa’ad served as head of the production headquarters of Hamas’s military wing and was considered the organization’s number two figure, operating under the wing’s commander, Izz al-Din al-Haddad. He was regarded as one of the most senior and respected operatives within Hamas’s military leadership.
According to the information released, Sa’ad had been active in Hamas since its early years. He was detained by Israel in 1990 and later imprisoned by the Palestinian Authority in the late 1990s due to his involvement in Hamas activities. Over the years, he was closely associated with Hamas founder Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, as well as senior military leaders Mohammed Deif and Marwan Issa.
In the past, Sa’ad commanded Hamas’s Gaza Brigade and later established the group’s naval force in the Gaza Strip, leading it during the early 2010s. Following Operation Protective Edge in 2014, he played a significant role in Hamas’s leadership as part of the military wing’s senior command.
Sa’ad also previously served as Hamas’s head of operations, where he was responsible for operational planning, including the establishment of the elite Nukhba units and the development of the operational plan known as Walls Of Jericho - the code name for the October 7th massacre.
Israeli officials said Sa’ad had long been a target for assassination, and described his killing as a significant blow to Hamas, particularly to its command-and-control structure and its weapons production apparatus. As head of the production headquarters, Sa’ad was responsible for the manufacture of numerous explosive devices during the war, which Israeli sources say were used in attacks that killed many Israeli soldiers.
According to the Israel Defense Forces, an “emerging intelligence opportunity” presented itself when Military Intelligence identified Sa’ad traveling in his vehicle in western Gaza City. The intelligence led directly to the strike that killed him.
Israeli officials also noted that since the beginning of the ceasefire, and especially over the past two weeks, Hamas has repeatedly attempted to manufacture explosives and carry out attacks. These included incidents involving explosive devices used against IDF forces, such as the attachment of an explosive to a Namer armored vehicle operated by Golani Brigade troops and another explosive attack. Israeli officials said these actions constitute a “blatant violation” of the ceasefire agreement.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/419235
Men examine the wreckage on Al-Rashid Al-Bahri Street in the western part of Gaza City
Israel killed Raed Saed, a senior Hamas commander, in the airstrike.
An interior shot of the car which was targeted by an Israeli airstrike on Saturday
The bodies arrive at Shifa Hospital
Hamas Terrorists
The Shin Bet and the IDF said they received intelligence in real-time that he was making a rare above-ground trip in the western part of Gaza City, and acted promptly to kill him before the opportunity was lost.
The elimination of Hamas's Ra'ad Sa'ad in Gaza on Saturday was not a response to an IED blast earlier in the day but represented the seizing of an operational opportunity, a senior Israeli security official told i24NEWS.
"We identified that he has been working directly for months to violate the ceasefire. Both in the statements he made, and in the production of weapons."
Sa'ad, the official said, was in the target bank for a long time and today the opportunity has come.
"He is one of the last senior figures left in the Gaza Strip.
The attack was carried out by a drone with three missiles that hit a moving vehicle in the western part of Gaza City.
Following the initial strikes, the IDF fired another missile to ensure that no one survived the attack.
A longstanding member of Hamas, Mr. Saad had slowly risen in the ranks to become the armed wing’s second-in-command, according to two Arab intelligence officials. He spent much of the war deep underground in Hamas tunnels beneath Gaza City.
The Shin Bet and the IDF have been trying to track and kill Saad for a long period, concerned about his efforts to rehabilitate the Hamas terror group.
The TV network reported Saturday that as soon as Saad was identified by Israeli intelligence getting into a vehicle in Gaza City, a plan to target him was quickly approved by authorities and rapidly carried out.
Ynet reported that Saad had rarely emerged aboveground since the start of the war, and Israeli officials jumped on the chance to assassinate him despite the ongoing ceasefire.
The strike hit the vehicle while it was traveling along the coastal Rashid Road, on the Hamas-controlled side of the Gaza ceasefire line.
According to the Kan public broadcaster, the Shin Bet and the IDF have been trying to track and kill Saad for a long period, concerned about his efforts to rehabilitate the Hamas terror group.
The TV network reported Saturday that as soon as Saad was identified by Israeli intelligence getting into a vehicle in Gaza City, a plan to target him was quickly approved by authorities and rapidly carried out.
Ynet reported that Saad had rarely emerged aboveground since the start of the war, and Israeli officials jumped on the chance to assassinate him despite the ongoing ceasefire.
In a joint statement on Saturday evening, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Defense Minister Israel Katz said that Saad was killed “in response to the activation of a Hamas explosive device that wounded our forces today in the Yellow Zone of the Gaza Strip.”
They added that the Hamas commander “had been engaged in restoring the terror organization and in planning and carrying out attacks against Israel, as well as rebuilding an attack force, in blatant violation of the ceasefire rules and Hamas’s commitments to respect President [Donald] Trump’s plan.”
Saad, head of Hamas’s weapons manufacturing headquarters and one of the architects of the terror group’s October 7, 2023, onslaught, was one of the few remaining members of Hamas’s top military brass in the Gaza Strip.
The strike hit a vehicle traveling along the coastal Rashid Road, on the Hamas-controlled side of the Gaza ceasefire line, according to Palestinian media, which reported four people killed and over 20 injured. According to reports, Saad was killed along with three of his bodyguards.
The IDF said that Saad “led Hamas’s force buildup, and his elimination constitutes a significant blow to the organization’s ability to rearm.” The military added that he was “directly responsible for violations of the ceasefire agreement by the Hamas terror organization,” including the ongoing production of weapons during the ceasefire.
The military said Saad held several senior roles in the terror group and was considered close to Hamas founder Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, assassinated in 2004; military chief Mohammed Deif, killed in July 2024; and deputy head of the military wing Marwan Issa, until his assassination in March 2024.
Saad established Hamas’s Gaza City Brigade, commanded it, and was involved in forming the terror group’s naval force, according to the military. He was later appointed as chief of the terror group’s operations headquarters.
During the latter role, Saad was one of the architects of the terror group’s plan to invade Israel and defeat the IDF’s Gaza Division which was ultimately activated on October 7, 2023.
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