Israel claimed to have killed a top Hamas official in a missile strike targeted at Gaza City on Saturday.
The Gaza Civil Defense Agency, which is part of the Hamas-run interior ministry in the enclave, said the airstrike killed five people and wounded 25 others, although it was not clear whether the two sides were referring to the same incident.
What do we know about the Israeli attack on Gaza City?
The target of the Israeli attack was Raed Saad, whom Israel said was “one of the architects” of the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel.
Although local authorities did not confirm whether Saad was among the dead, his family told France’s AFP news agency that a funeral would be held for him on Sunday.
The Israeli military has said that Saad is leading Hamas’s weapons production.
In a joint statement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz said that Saad was “targeted in response to the detonation of a Hamas explosive device, which resulted in injuries.” [two of] Our army is in the Yellow Area of Gaza Strip today.”
An eyewitness, who wished to remain anonymous, told AFP: “Warplanes fired several missiles at the vehicle, setting it on fire. Residents ran to put out the fire, and charred body parts were scattered on the ground.”
Killings continue during ceasefire in Gaza
If Israel did indeed kill Saad, it would be Hamas’s deadliest killing since a fragile ceasefire was established on October 10.
Hamas sources described Saad as second-in-command of the group’s armed wing, known as the Qassam Brigades.
As has been the case in the past, both sides on Saturday accused each other of violating the October 10 ceasefire.
Israel said Saad “worked to re-establish Hamas’ capabilities and weapons buildup, which is a gross violation of the ceasefire.”
Hamas said that Israel’s airstrike targeting Saad was a violation of the ceasefire agreement.
Although Israel has returned to positions behind the so-called “yellow line”, it still controls more than half of the Gaza Strip, as well as border crossings in and out of the devastated zone.
Hamas’ October 7 attack killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and 251 people were abducted and held hostage during the battle. At least 80 hostages died in captivity.
In response, Israel launched a military campaign against Hamas that resulted in the almost complete destruction of Gaza and the deaths of over 70,000 Palestinians, the majority of whom are believed to be civilians.
Although the violence has slowed down since October 10, it has not ended.
Palestinian health officials claim Israel has killed at least 386 people since then. Israel says that three of its soldiers have been killed during that period.
Edited by: Carl Sexton