Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) says key Oct 7 planner, Hamas' weapons chief killed in strike

TEL AVIV: The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) and the Israel Security Agency (ISA) on Saturday said they had killed a senior Hamas commander who played a central role in planning the October 7 attack on Israel. In a statement issued on December 13, the IDF identified the commander as Raed Saad, describing him as the head of the Weapons Production Headquarters of Hamas' military wing and "one of the architects of the brutal October 7 massacre."

The Israeli military said Saad was responsible for overseeing the production of all types of weapons for Hamas prior to the October 7 assault and later led efforts to rebuild the group's weapons manufacturing capabilities during the ongoing war. The IDF also released a video of what it said was the operation that led to his killing.

According to the statement, the strike came amid what Israel described as repeated attempts by Hamas in recent weeks to attack Israeli troops, including the use of explosive devices, actions the IDF said violated the ceasefire agreement that came into effect on October 10. Israeli officials accused Hamas of using the ceasefire period to restore its military strength. (ANI)

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