Israel says one of Hamas' senior military minds has been taken out — and with him, perhaps any last illusions about the durability of the ceasefire.
According to DW.com, on Saturday, Israeli forces executed a targeted airstrike in Gaza City, claiming the life of Raed Saad, a top Hamas figure allegedly involved in the deadly October 7 attack that sparked the latest round of regional bloodshed.
Raed Saad, identified by Israeli officials as second-in-command of Hamas’ armed Qassam Brigades, was reportedly in a vehicle struck by missiles during the operation. Israel described him as one of the prime movers behind the October 7, 2023, assault on Israeli civilians that left 1,200 dead and over 250 abducted. Since then, the war machine has not slowed, even under the supposed ceasefire.
Striking Back After A Ceasefire Breach
The Israeli military justified the airstrike, saying Saad had resumed the production of weapons and was trying to rebuild Hamas’ arsenal — a move they say violates the cessation of hostilities agreed upon on October 10. To top it off, Israeli soldiers were injured earlier that same day in what officials called a Hamas-triggered explosive attack. According to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz, the airstrike was “in response to the detonation of a Hamas explosive device that wounded [two of] our forces today in the Yellow Area of the Gaza Strip.”
If the Israeli account holds, it isn't just another drone strike — it's the most significant killing of a Hamas leader since the ceasefire began. But, as is often the case in the fog of conflict, answers are still murky on the ground. Gaza civil defense, part of the Hamas-run Interior Ministry, confirmed at least five deaths and 25 injuries from an airstrike, but didn’t confirm if Saad was among them.
However, the silence from Hamas’ media spokespeople was broken by one implicit acknowledgment — Saad's family told AFP that his funeral is set for Sunday. That kind of public move would be an odd choice if there was any doubt about who really died in the inferno of twisted steel and smoke.
Gaza Remains Tense Despite Ceasefire
Witnesses described the aftermath in stark terms. One anonymous observer told AFP, “Warplanes fired several missiles at the vehicle, setting it ablaze. Residents rushed to extinguish the fire, and charred body parts were scattered on the ground.”
Even as body counts rise and rubble piles up, the ceasefire — at least on paper — remains. But in practice, both Israel and Hamas are pointing fingers. Israel argues that Hamas has blatantly breached the agreement by reigniting its weapons operations and launching attacks on troops. Hamas, for its part, accuses Israel of using the ceasefire as cover for renewed military aggression.
The picture is bleak: More than half of Gaza remains under Israeli control, even after IDF troops were pulled back behind a so-called “yellow line.” Border posts remain firmly in Israeli hands. And while diplomats may argue over diplomatic definitions, boots on the ground tell a much clearer story.
War’s Human Toll Continues To Mount
The numbers do not make for easy reading — over 70,000 Palestinians have reportedly died since Israel’s campaign began following the October 7 attacks. According to health authorities in Gaza, at least 386 Palestinians have died just since the ceasefire was declared. Israel, meanwhile, reports the loss of three soldiers in that same timeframe.
There’s no denying the human tragedy in Gaza. But those quick to demonize Israel would do well to revisit how this all began: an unprovoked terror assault that saw entire families murdered and children taken hostage by the same group now crying foul over rules of war. Sympathy for civilians does not require blindness to terrorist leadership.
Saad, whom the Israeli military called “one of the architects” of the October 7 atrocities, was well-known not just for his battlefield rank, but for leading Hamas’ weapons development. Eliminating a man whose hands helped build and deploy instruments of death isn’t just strategic — it is arguably a moral necessity.
Leadership Loss May Disrupt Hamas Operations
Hamas claimed Saad was second in command of the Qassam Brigades, which makes his death not only a tactical hit but a symbolic one. With its top brass increasingly under fire, Hamas’ ability to regroup and rearm grows more uncertain — especially if its alleged violations of the ceasefire provide Israel with international cover.
Of course, the usual crowd will bemoan “disproportionate response” and scream about international law, yet remain curiously mute when explosives rip through Israeli patrols or rockets target civilian farms. True accountability means holding both sides to account — not just the one with a recognizable flag and functioning judiciary. As for the ceasefire? It may still exist on paper, but the dynamics on the ground speak louder than any diplomatic memo or U.N. statement. When explosives detonate, and missiles fly, that's not peace — that's peacetime theater, and nobody should be fooled.
