JERUSALEM/GAZA, Dec. 14 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli military confirmed that its forces killed a senior Hamas commander in a strike in the Gaza Strip on Saturday.
The Israel Defense Forces and the Shin Bet security agency said in a joint statement that Ra'ad Sa'ad, head of the weapons production headquarters in Hamas' military wing, was killed.
The Israeli military described Sa'ad as one of the planners of the Hamas-led attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and "one of the last remaining senior militants" in Gaza.
It also claimed that Sa'ad was "directly responsible for violations of the ceasefire agreement" by Hamas in recent months, accusing him of leading the continued production of weapons during the ceasefire.
Hamas did not confirm the death of Sa'ad, but accused Israel of attempting to derail the U.S.-brokered ceasefire.
"The continued crimes in Gaza, including the attack on a civilian vehicle in western Gaza City, constitute a blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement signed according to U.S. President Donald Trump's plan," Hamas said in a statement.
"The Israeli government bears full responsibility for the consequences of its crimes against the Palestinian people, including harm to civilians, leadership and activists," the group added.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement that he and Defense Minister Israel Katz had personally ordered Sa'ad's assassination in response to the detonation of a Hamas explosive device that wounded Israeli forces on Saturday in Gaza.
Earlier on Saturday, the Israeli military said two reserve soldiers were lightly injured by explosive device detonated during an operation to clear the area of militant infrastructure in southern Gaza.
"Killing Sa'ad is a blow to Hamas, both practically and symbolically," Michael Milshtein, a former senior Israeli intelligence officer, told The New York Times. But he cautioned that it was still far from toppling the group, which is "capable, motivated and can adapt to a changing reality."
Despite the latest ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that took effect in October, Israel has continued to carry out strikes in Gaza, killing more than 380 people and injuring over 1,000 others, according to Gaza's health authorities. ■
