• Israel confirms the killing of Hamas commander Raad Saad in a targeted airstrike in Gaza.
• Saad was previously described as one of the key architects of the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.
• The airstrike adds strains to the fragile ceasefire agreement established in October.
• Hamas acknowledges Saad's death and calls for the U.S. to enforce the ceasefire terms.
• Israeli military actions since the ceasefire began have reportedly caused hundreds of Palestinian casualties.

Israel announced the killing of Raad Saad, the head of weapons production for Hamas's military wing, in a targeted airstrike on Saturday in Gaza City. Israeli officials described Saad as "one of the architects" of the October 7 attack that instigated the recent conflict. In a joint statement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz stated that the strike was a direct response to a Hamas explosive device that had injured two Israeli soldiers earlier that same day, according to Channel News Asia, South China Morning Post, and India Times.

Eyewitnesses reported chaos following the strike, with civilian casualties including five people, according to Gaza health officials. Khalil Al-Hayya, Hamas's Gaza chief, confirmed the death and described the ongoing situation as "difficult times," emphasizing the significant loss of life within Gaza due to continued Israeli measures. He urged the U.S. and other mediators to enforce respect for the ceasefire agreement, as reported by Al Jazeera and India Times.

Since the ceasefire began on October 10, tensions have escalated with reports of heightened Israeli military operations that have resulted in at least 386 Palestinian deaths and numerous injuries. This latest assassination further complicates the fragile truce's viability, leading Hamas negotiators to call for international intervention to uphold the ceasefire conditions as cited by Reuters and Channel News Asia.