NORTHERN ISRAEL (VINnews) — IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir declared Sunday that the Israeli military will not permit its enemies to rebuild their forces, following an airstrike that eliminated a top Hamas commander involved in the October 7, 2023, massacre.
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Speaking at a Hanukkah candle-lighting ceremony in northern Israel, Zamir highlighted the targeted killing of Raad Saad, head of Hamas’s weapons manufacturing headquarters.
“Yesterday we eliminated Raad Saad, one of the senior figures of the military wing of the Hamas terror organization, who led and carried out terror activities for more than thirty years and was one of the architects of the October 7 attack,” Zamir said.
He described Saad’s efforts to restore Hamas capabilities as a “blatant violation” of the ongoing ceasefire agreement.
Zamir noted that in a short period, Israel had also eliminated Hezbollah’s military chief on November 23, alongside Saad.
“We will not allow the enemy to build up its capabilities and will respond to any violation of the agreement,” Zamir said. “Our policy is clear, on all fronts, and here in Lebanon as well, we will continue to act and thwart threats as they emerge.”
The IDF confirmed Saturday that a precision airstrike in Gaza City killed Saad, whom it described as a key planner of the October 7 onslaught and responsible for rebuilding Hamas’s arms production during the truce.
Saad, considered one of the last remaining veteran senior Hamas commanders in Gaza, had survived previous assassination attempts.