Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz instructed the elimination of top Hamas commander Ra'ad Saad on December 13, 2025, in direct response to a Hamas bomb wounding IDF forces earlier that day in the yellow area of the Gaza Strip, according to a joint announcement reported by Almog Boker over the past hour. The announcement states Saad, one of the architects of the October 7 massacre, led Hamas reconstruction efforts, planned attacks against Israel, and violated ceasefire rules and commitments to President Trump's plan. Netanyahu and Katz declared, "Whoever raises his hand against Israel and harms the soldiers of the IDF - his hand will be cut off in Gaza and everywhere," and wished a speedy recovery to the wounded soldiers. Security system sources told Gili Cohen that the IDF attempted to assassinate Saad twice during the war without success, viewing his promotion of attacks against IDF forces as a ceasefire violation. Nitzan Shapira reported that Ezz al-Din al-Haddad remains the last senior Hamas military leader from October 7. The order follows Israeli officials' confirmation earlier on December 13 of Saad's elimination in an airstrike on his jeep in western Gaza City, as previously reported. Saad ranked second to al-Haddad, leading weapons production in violation of the ceasefire.
