The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed on Saturday that a precision drone airstrike in western Gaza City killed Raad Saad (also spelled Ra'ad Sa'ad or Raed Saad), a senior Hamas military commander widely regarded as the second-in-command of the group's armed wing, behind only Izz ad-Din al-Haddad.
The strike targeted a vehicle traveling along the Al-Rashid coastal road near al-Nabulsi Square. According to Israeli officials and Palestinian reports, the attack killed four individuals in total, Saad and three others.
The Jerusalem Post reported that intelligence indicated Saad had emerged from an underground tunnel complex, where he had been operating for months, approximately one hour before the strike.
Saad, born in 1972, was a veteran Hamas operative and key figure in the organization's military infrastructure. He headed the operations and weapons manufacturing division, overseeing rocket production, tunnel networks, and efforts to rebuild Hamas's military capabilities in northern Gaza during the current fragile ceasefire.
Israeli sources describe him as instrumental in developing Hamas's rocket arsenal, urban warfare tactics, and elements of the "Jericho Wall" plan linked to the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel. He participated in both Intifadas, founded Hamas's "military academy," and was previously imprisoned by both Israel and the Palestinian Authority. Israel had targeted Saad multiple times during the war without success, including during the March 2024 raid on Shifa Hospital (where he escaped) and unconfirmed reports in June 2024.
Of all the Hamas leaders who planned October 7th, Izz ad-Din Al Haddad is the only one still alive.
