Israeli forces killed Raad Saad, a senior Hamas commander and key planner of the October 7, 2023, attack, in an airstrike targeting his vehicle along Gaza’s coastal Rashid Road. Three others were also reported killed, and more than 20 injured.

🔴 ELIMINATED: Ra’ad Sa’ad, Head of the Weapons Production Headquarters of Hamas’ Military Wing and One of the Architects of the Brutal October 7th Massacre

Sa’ad was one of the last remaining veteran senior militants in the Gaza Strip and a close associate of Marwan Issa, the… pic.twitter.com/nIa1VUqryI

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) December 13, 2025

Saad, who headed Hamas’s weapons manufacturing, was among the last senior members of the group’s military leadership in Gaza, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). 

“Saad 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,” the IDF said in a statement. The IDF added his death “significantly degrades Hamas’ ability to reestablish its capabilities.” 

Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz, said the strike was a response to a recent IED attack that lightly wounded two reservists in southern Gaza. 

Hamas’ Gaza chief, Khalil al-Hayya, confirmed Saad’s death on Sunday, saying the leader “dedicated his life to his religion and homeland and lived as a fugitive from the occupation for decades.”