Israel Kills Senior Hamas Commander in Gaza Strike

Israel killed a senior Hamas military commander in a strike in Gaza on Saturday, escalating tensions over a fragile ceasefire agreement brokered by the United States two months earlier. The operation targeted Raed Saad, whom Israeli officials described as a key figure in Hamas's weapons manufacturing and a planner of the October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel that ignited the broader conflict.

The strike occurred near al-Nabulsi Square in western Gaza City, where an explosive device was used on Saad's vehicle, according to Israeli military statements. Saad, second-in-command in Hamas's al-Qassam Brigades under the group's military chief Izz al-Din al-Haddad, died alongside three aides. An Associated Press journalist reported that four bodies arrived at Shifa Hospital following the attack, while Al-Awda Hospital noted three additional injuries. Hamas described the targeted vehicle as civilian and confirmed Saad's death on Sunday through a statement from its Gaza chief, Khalil al-Hayya, who identified him as the commander of the group's military manufacturing unit. Hamas quickly appointed a successor but provided no further details.

Israel justified the action as a response to...