Israel kills senior Hamas leader Ra'ad Sa'ad, one of architects of Oct 7 attacks, in Gaza airstrike

An Israeli security official confirmed today (Saturday) to Kan News that the IDF eliminated senior Hamas figure Ra'ad Sa'ad, one of the architects of Oct. 7, 2023, in Gaza City. Hours before the assassination attempt, two reserve soldiers were lightly wounded by an explosive device in the southern part of the Strip.

The Shin Bet had been tracking Sa'ad for a long period. He was among the senior leadership of Hamas in the Gaza Strip and served as the deputy to the head of the military wing, Izz al-Din Haddad. The strike was carried out at noon from the Shin Bet’s special operations command center and was directed at Sa'ad’s vehicle, in which he was traveling together with his aides, who were eliminated along with him.

This is another step toward closing the circle with everyone who was part of Hamas’ leadership at the time of the deadly Oct. 7 attack. Today, only a few individuals remain in the Strip who were directly involved in planning and carrying out the massacre, foremost among them Haddad, who currently serves as head of the military wing.

Sa'ad, who was considered the number two in the terrorist organization, headed the production headquarters responsible for the independent manufacture of rocket launchers, missiles, and anti-tank weapons. He was among the founders of Hamas’ military wing and a member of the small military council in Gaza. In the past, he served as head of the Operations Division and commander of the Gaza Brigade.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz issued a joint statement saying that Sa'ad’s elimination was “a response to the activation of a Hamas explosive device that wounded our forces today in the yellow zone of the Gaza Strip.” The two added that anyone “who raises a hand against Israel and harms IDF soldiers—his hand will be cut off in Gaza and anywhere else.”

Hamas addressed the airstrike in an official statement without mentioning Sa'ad by name, claiming it was an attack on a civilian vehicle and calling it “Israel’s violation of the ceasefire agreement.”

In Saudi Arabia, it was reported that Saad was killed by three missiles fired from the air at the vehicle in which the senior Hamas figure was traveling. Additional reports indicated that at least six people were killed in the strike and at least twenty were wounded.

Ra'ad Sa'ad was considered a high-value target, and this was not the first attempt to eliminate him. In June 2024, Israel struck a building in the Shati refugee camp where Sa'ad was present, but he survived.

Security officials who spoke with Kan News said that “this is one of the few senior Hamas figures remaining in the Strip.” They noted that Sa'ad was “a former brigade commander and ‘one of the old guard’ in terms of style.” The officials emphasized that his elimination is “equivalent to the elimination of Marwan Issa,” and that Sa'ad “shares the worldview of Yahya Sinwar and his circle.”