The IDF has eliminated from the air the most senior member of the leadership after Izz ad-Din Haddad. He is considered the architect of the"Jericho Wall" plan, and in recent months has been involved in rebuilding Hamas' military strength in the northern Gaza Strip. Netanyahu and Katz: This is a response to the use of an IED on reserve soldiers who were slightly injured. The terrorist organization condemned - and did not say who was in the vehicle
Yoav Zeiton
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Milk grape
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Itamar Eichner
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The air force targeted vehicles in Nablusi Square, west of Gaza City, at noon (Saturday), eliminating the
Raed Saad
, considered number 2 in the Hamas leadership in the Gaza Strip, after Izz ad-Din Haddad. The attack was carried out by firing a small missile from an unmanned aerial vehicle. According to Palestinian reports, four people were killed, including one of them. The operation given in Israel for the assassination attempt is called"Last Supper." Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz said that the assassination was carried out in response to the use of an IED against two reserve soldiers who were slightly injured.
Watch the documentation of the assassination, and documentation from the scene of the attack:
4 Viewing the gallery
Saad's smashed Skoda car at the scene of the attack (Photo: REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas)
(Photo: REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas)
(Photo: REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas)
Katz and Netanyahu's statement further stated that "Saad was one of the architects of the October 7 massacre, and is currently engaged in rehabilitating the terrorist organization and planning and carrying out attacks against Israel and rebuilding an attack force, in flagrant violation of the ceasefire rules and Hamas' commitments to respect President Trump's plan. Instead of promoting disarmament, he is engaged in rearming for acts of terror."
A joint statement from the IDF and Shin Bet spokespeople stated that "Saad led the strengthening of Hamas, and his elimination constitutes a significant harm to the organization's ability to strengthen. He was responsible for producing all types of weapons for Hamas' military wing in the run-up to October 7, and later also for restoring weapons production capabilities. He is responsible for killing many soldiers as a result of IEDs, and was a leading figure in the leadership of Hamas' military wing in recent months. He was directly responsible for the violations of the ceasefire agreement by the Hamas terrorist organization."
Recently, there have been several opportunities to eliminate Saad, who has led Hamas' military rehabilitation in the northern Gaza Strip since the ceasefire. Today, a high-probability identification of his location above ground was achieved, and therefore he was attacked. The defense establishment is expected to explain to the Americans, who are wary of such actions, that this is a response to frequent ceasefire violations by Hamas in the form of suspects approaching the Yellow Line.
The "identity card" issued by the IDF (Photo: IDF Spokesperson)
Hours before the assassination attempt, two reserve soldiers were slightly injured by an explosive device near the Yellow Line in Khan Yunis. The army is investigating whether it was an old device. An Israeli official said that there was an operational opportunity to eliminate Saad, and that the assassination was approved by Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defense Minister Katz.
Hamas issued a statement after the attack, accusing Israel of hitting a"civilian vehicle" and "blatantly violating the ceasefire agreement in accordance with President Trump's plan." The terrorist organization's statement did not mention who was in the vehicle - and there was no reference to relief.
As head of Hamas's operations headquarters, it was Saad who wrote the plan for the invasion of Israel."
Wall of Jericho
". This is a general-general, front-wide and organizational-wide plan, the success of which depended on complete surprise - as indeed happened on October 7, 2023 - and almost all the forces of the military wing were activated, about 40 thousand people, led by the Nuhva. Its first stage was a massive and timed infiltration of Hamas forces into Israeli territory throughout the entire sector, while activating all the formations and means at their disposal - fighters (Nuhva), engineering teams, air defense, anti-tank, artillery, drones, paragliders and naval forces.
Saad was born in 1972 and is part of the "2005 Generation," Hamas field commanders who emerged during the first intifada, were imprisoned for a long time in Israel and the PA, gained military experience in the second intifada, and saw themselves as those who pushed Israel out of the Gaza Strip 20 years ago – a move that enabled Hamas to establish a strong government in the region and transform from a terrorist and guerrilla organization into a jihadist army whose purpose was to attack Israel. In a speech he gave in November 2013, on the one-year anniversary of Operation Pillar of Defense, Saad hinted at the vision he shared and realized within a decade:"Hamas is constantly improving its strength and preparing for the next campaign against Israel."
Throughout the Iron Sword War, Israel attempted several times to eliminate Saad, but
Without success
Also, in March 2024, the IDF announced, apparently in error, that
Saad arrested in raid on Shifa Hospital
Only a few days later did Israel announce that it was a mistake and that he was not arrested.
Earlier on Saturday, an IDF spokesman announced that
