Israel kills senior Hamas commander, Raed Saed, in Gaza strike — Israeli media

The Israeli military killed senior Hamas commander Raed Saed, one of the architects of the October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel, in a strike on a car in Gaza City on Saturday, several Israeli media outlets reported, citing sources.

The attack killed four people and wounded at least 25 others, according to Gaza health authorities. There was no immediate confirmation from Hamas or medics that Saed was among the dead.

The Israeli military said it had targeted a senior Hamas commander in Gaza City, without giving a name or details.

If Saed was killed, it would be the highest-profile assassination of a senior Hamas figure since a ceasefire deal came into effect in October.

An Israeli defence official said Saed had been targetted in the attack, describing him as the head of Hamas' weapons manufacturing force.

Hamas sources have also described him as the second-in-command of the group's armed wing, after Izz eldeen Al-Hadad.

Saed used to head Hamas' Gaza City battalion, one of the group's largest and best-equipped, those sources said.

The Israeli military said that earlier two soldiers were injured by an explosive device that "detonated during an operation to clear the area" of militant infrastructure. It was not immediately clear whether the two incidents were related.

Reuters