Tel Aviv. Israeli security forces have claimed that senior Hamas commander Raad Saad was killed in a target operation conducted in Gaza on 13 December 2025. According to Israel, Ra’ad Saad was the head of the arms production headquarters in Hamas’ military wing and was involved in planning a major attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. Security agencies say he was considered one of the most experienced and dangerous Hamas commanders in recent months.
According to Israeli claims, despite the ceasefire, Raad Saad was busy strengthening Hamas’s military structure in Gaza. He was instrumental in accelerating the manufacturing of weapons and explosives as well as reorganizing the organization’s combat capabilities. It has been reported that he had a direct role behind several explosive attacks on Israeli soldiers in recent weeks, in which security forces suffered heavy losses. Israel says that Raad Saad had previously been the founder and commander of the Gaza City Brigade. In addition, it also contributed significantly to developing Hamas’ naval strength in Gaza. He was considered very close to the top leadership of Hamas’s military wing and had a deep involvement in the organization’s strategic decisions. According to security agencies, his expertise was being used in manufacturing rockets, explosive devices and other weapon systems.
The Israeli military has also alleged that Raad Saad had contributed to the preparation of the plan under which Israel was attacked on October 7, 2023. Israel considers this attack to be one of the deadliest terrorist attacks in its history. Israel claims that even after the ceasefire came into force, Raad Saad continued to make weapons for Hamas and the same weapons were used in attacks on Israeli soldiers in Gaza, in which many soldiers died. Israeli security forces have made it clear that the campaign against Hamas will continue. He says that such targeted operations will be continued to completely destroy the organization’s military capabilities and no commander who promotes violence against Israel will be spared.
