This approach prevented his assassination until he was struck in his vehicle alongside three bodyguards on December 13, following multiple failed elimination attempts. One such effort unfolded in summer 2024, when the Israeli Air Force targeted a structure in the Shati camp – an area housing both a mosque and a school.

Saad handled diverse responsibilities within Hamas, spanning the organization's "civilian" infrastructure. Over three decades, he occupied a succession of critical positions directly linked to the October 7 massacre: operations chief, founder of the Nukhba (Hamas's elite commando force), naval force architect, and weapons production director. Throughout the war, he oversaw explosive manufacturing that claimed numerous IDF soldiers' lives. During the ceasefire, he orchestrated the restoration of the organization's strength.

"Generational transition"

Following his elimination, Israel Hayom has learned that Hamas is experiencing an accelerated "generational transition" due to dozens of senior operatives killed across two years. Today, scarce veteran figures populate the leadership, including "military wing head" Izz al-Din al-Haddad and intelligence director Mohammed Awda. They too face mounting responsibility portfolios. According to Asharq Al-Awsat, Awda was appointed commander of the northern Gaza Strip brigade. Al-Haddad himself managed the hostages dossier.

Consequently, the terrorist organization increasingly depends on junior terrorist commanders possessing minimal experience, restricted authority, and diminished capabilities. This dynamic threatens decision-making capacity and strategic planning.

Hamas has enlisted thousands of fresh terrorists throughout the conflict. Nevertheless, these recruits have only basic training, lacking experience and authority, and have marginal capabilities.

Yet alongside them, a hardened nucleus of veteran, proficient terrorists has endured. Therefore, Hamas sustains operations via emergency committees and apparatuses controlling the economy, transit, and education, while attempting to terrorize the population through executions and public prosecutions. Simultaneously, certain local clans demonstrate resistance.

Regarding the Palestinian population, Hamas' core supporter base has remained steadfast. Conversely, support for Hamas has declined according to multiple surveys. Furthermore, numerous Gazans exhibit passivity amid Gaza's humanitarian conditions, particularly during winter storms. Gaza has reported that at least 16 Palestinians have perished from weather-related damage thus far, including building wall collapses.

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Shortly afterward, dozens more Israeli civilians attempted to cross the border in a separate incident. Several breached a barrier and entered the security buffer zone separating Israel from the Gaza Strip, but IDF troops and police officers rushed to the scene and prevented them from entering Gaza.

The IDF did not provide further details on the identities of the civilians or the circumstances that led to the attempted crossings.

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In June, preparations for war were virtually finished, The Washington Post reported. Numerous Israeli agents were positioned within Iran, armed with sophisticated weaponry. Israeli Air Force pilots awaited orders to strike nuclear infrastructure and missile sites. Jerusalem and the US had reached a consensus on Tehran's nuclear progress. Diplomatic ruses were employed to distract the regime.

Security officials knew that lasting damage required eliminating the "brain trust," the scientists whom intelligence agencies believed were mastering the creation of atomic bombs.

At 3:21 a.m. on June 13, Israeli weapons struck Tehran, initiating Operation Narnia. Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi, a sanctioned physicist, was killed in his apartment. Fereydoun Abbasi, another key figure, died two hours later. Israel stated it assassinated 11 senior scientists during the campaign.

The Washington Post and PBS "Frontline" revealed these details based on interviews with officials. Experts say the program has been set back years, though this contradicts President Donald Trump's claim that it was "completely and totally obliterated."

Amir Tehranchi told Frontline regarding his brother: "With the killing of these professors, they might be gone, but their knowledge isn't lost to our country."

Israel had previously killed scientists using deniable methods. In June, however, it acted openly, emboldened by successes against proxies in Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria. An Israeli Air Force general stated they finally had an "operational opportunity to do it."

For Operation Narnia, analysts identified the 100 most critical scientists, narrowing the list to about a dozen. The Washington Post and Bellingcat verified 71 civilian casualties in the strikes.

One attack on the Professors Complex killed 10 civilians. Another strike targeted Mohammad Reza Sedighi Saber but killed his son. Saber was later killed in Astaneh-ye Ashrafiyeh.

"One of the major considerations for the planning of Operation Narnia was to try to minimize as much as possible the collateral damage," a senior Israeli officer said.

Brig. Gen. Elad Edri noted Iranian retaliation killed 31 Israelis. Tehran claimed 1,062 deaths from the Israeli campaign. The wider campaign, Rising Lion, destroyed over half of Iran's missile launchers and decimated air defenses. US B-2 bombers and Tomahawk missiles participated. Inside Iran, Mossad mobilized agents equipped with a "special weapon" for precision attacks.

"This operation is unprecedented in history," the official said. "We mobilized our own assets and agents to go close to Tehran and launch the ground operation before the [Israeli] Air Force could enter Iranian airspace."

Israel had long contemplated this assault. Obstacles vanished after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack. The ensuing war in Gaza and operations against Hezbollah changed the strategic landscape. The collapse of the Syrian regime in 2024 also contributed.

"Plans changed along the years, but they became very concrete after those two events," the Israeli Air Force general said. While the US and Israel agreed Iran was seeking a weapon, intelligence assessments varied.

Netanyahu presented Trump with four attack scenarios. Planning continued despite Trump's desire for diplomacy. "The thinking was, if talks fail, we are ready to go," a source said.

The Iran-Israel war took place in June 2025 (Pictured: The Iranian flag next to a missile in Iran in 2008) / AP Photo/Fars News Agency, Vahid Reza Alaei

In April, Trump gave Iran 60 days to agree to a deal. As the deadline passed, he and Netanyahu used deception to mask the coming strike.

"All the reports that were written about Bibi not being on the same page with Witkoff or Trump were not true," the source said. "But it was good that this was the general perception, it helped to move on with the planning without many people noticing it."

The Trump administration made a final push even as bombing began, secretly transmitting a proposal. The terms included Tehran ending support for proxies and "replacing" the Fordow facility and "any other functioning facility". In return, the US would lift "all sanctions placed on Iran."

"What Iran did not know is that this overture would be its final opportunity before Trump approved US firepower joining Israel's," The Post reported.  Tehran rejected it, and Trump authorized US strikes, a diplomat told the Post. 

Officials say damage is severe. "Overall, the damage caused by airstrikes to numerous nuclear sites was extensive and, in many cases, catastrophic," the Institute for Science and International Security stated.

Israel claims the program is "significantly delayed". IAEA chief Rafael Mariano Grossi told Frontline damage is "very substantial," though the uranium stockpile "is where it was by and large."

"Obviously, without having physical access to a place, any evaluation is partial," Grossi said.

Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani told Frontline: "Iran's nuclear program can never be destroyed... Because once you have discovered a technology, they can't take the discovery away."

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According to him, "Honestly, this is a strange and thoughtless decision. If Netanyahu had agreed at the beginning to open the crossing according to the agreement, he would have achieved the following things – respect from the international community, embarrassment for Egypt, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians would have left, only a few hundred would have entered, and the US would have received this as a gift. This is a diplomatic failure."

Nevertheless, Israel views this as an appropriate sanction for the ongoing delay in delivering all deceased hostages.

That is, first a Palestinian police force would be deployed, then a technocratic government would be established, and the PA would return to managing the Strip, and only at the end would the disarmament process begin. According to this proposal, the weapons would pass to the custody of the Palestinian Authority, which would oversee their storage, and its role would be to prevent terrorists from accessing them. It has also been reported that Doha and Ankara are proposing an alternative to the PA: "international supervision."

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The declaration, issued on the war's 800th day through a coordinated effort with October Council (organization representing October 7 families), arrives as most abducted Israelis have returned from Gaza. Among those who signed: former captives Yarden Bibas, Arbel Yehoud, Luis Har, Gadi Moshe Mozes, and Amit Soussana, joined by scores of bereaved relatives.

"We demand truth. We demand justice. We demand accountability," the letter declared. "If you refuse to accept responsibility and convene such a commission as the majority of Israelis demand, vacate your positions and allow the people to choose."

The complete text: "Investigate everything"

"We – the freed hostages, families of survivors, relatives of slain captives, and those whose loved ones were seized alive only to be murdered in captivity – stand unified behind one unambiguous demand: the formation of an independent state commission of inquiry.

"Such a commission represents the sole mechanism capable of examining without intimidation, without favoritism, and without constraints the complete sequence of breakdowns that preceded the day of failure, events that transpired during the catastrophe, and every decision-making procedure concerning the hostages and war management.

"This commission must examine every dimension of that day, encompassing the disintegration of defense and intelligence operations, the unanswered pleas for assistance, the hours-long desertion of Gaza border communities, and the forsaking of civilians and soldiers to the nightmare that consumed Israeli soil.

"Equally critical, it must scrutinize developments since October 7: How authorities reached decisions during hostage negotiations, what caused recurring postponements, how diplomatic and military leadership coordinated, what public officials stated and enacted and how those choices affected captives' survival, their physical and psychological welfare, the destiny of those abducted alive but killed in captivity, and the extended period before deceased hostages reached their families. This, 799 days later with one slain hostage's body still detained – Ran Gvili.

"A commission of inquiry cannot serve political ends. It cannot include individuals who themselves require investigation. It must maintain transparency, professionalism, and complete authority to mandate evaluations, question witnesses, examine records, and deliver definitive findings including implementation powers. Only such an entity can uncover the full truth, not merely convenient revelations. Truth is not a privilege, but Israel's obligation to its citizens. Such truth provides the foundation for mending Israeli society, rebuilding confidence in governance, and constructing greater security for coming generations.

"Without truth-seeking, we cannot guarantee the October 7 catastrophe will never recur, and without accepting responsibility, we cannot properly commemorate those who perished, those who suffered abduction, and those remaining in Gaza.

"We challenge Israel's government to cease avoiding, cease postponing, cease concealing, and immediately authorize a comprehensive state commission of inquiry. Passing time exacts severe costs – corrupted testimony, suppressed evidence, incapacity to pursue truth, comprehend breakdowns, and counter falsehoods. This constitutes an essential, ethical, and fundamental action in democratic governance. We demand truth. We demand justice. We demand accountability. And we demand it immediately.

"If you do not intend to take responsibility and establish such a commission as demanded by the majority of the people, vacate your positions and let the people decide."

Those who signed the demand

Former captive Yarden Bibas, widower of Shiri Bibas and bereaved father of Ariel Bibas and Kfir Bibas, murdered in Hamas detention; freed hostage Arbel Yehoud; freed hostage Clara Marman; freed hostage Shiri Weiss, mother of freed hostage Noga Weiss and widow of slain hostage Ilan Weiss; freed hostage Shani Goren; freed hostage Ariel Cunio; freed hostage Sharon Aloni Cunio, mother of freed hostages Ema and Yuly Cunio and wife of freed hostage David Cunio.

Released captives David Cunio and Sagui Dekel Chen; freed hostage Daniel Aloni, mother of freed hostage Emilia Aloni; freed hostage Amit Soussana; freed hostage Yafa Adar; freed hostage Fernando Marman; freed hostage Raz Ben Ami; freed hostage Ohad Ben Ami; freed hostage Luis Har; freed hostage Ditza Heiman; freed hostage Margalit Mozes; freed hostage Keren Munder, mother of freed hostage Ohad Munder and daughter of freed hostage Ruth Munder and deceased captive Abraham Munder, killed in Hamas detention; freed hostage Gabriela Leimberg and mother of freed hostage Mia Leimberg; freed hostage Raya Rotem; freed hostage Norlin Babadilla; freed hostage Agam Goldstein; freed hostage Chen Almog Goldstein; Renana Gome Yaakov, mother of freed hostages Or Yaakov and Yagil Yaakov; Einav Zangauker, mother of freed hostage Matan Zangauker; Lishay Lavi, wife of freed hostage Omri Miran; Hirut Nimrodi, mother of slain hostage Tamir Nimrodi.

Rishel Tzarfati, mother of deceased captive Ofir Tzarfati; Esther and Oren Buchshtab, parents of freed hostage Yagev Buchshtab; Anat Angrest, mother of freed hostage Matan Angrest; Nofar Buchshtab, sister of freed hostage Yagev Buchshtab; John and Rachel Goldberg-Polin, parents of slain hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin; Oksana Lobanov, mother of Alex Lobanov, killed in Hamas detention; Nira Sarusi, mother of Almog Sarusi, killed in Hamas detention; Ruby Chen, father of deceased captive Itay Chen; Eli and Shira Albag, parents of freed hostage Liri Albag; Asnat Peri, widow of Haim Peri, killed in Hamas detention; Asif and Gal Goren, children of Mia Goren, killed in Hamas detention; Tal Shani, mother of freed hostage Amit Shani; Orly Gilboa, mother of freed hostage Daniella Gilboa; Amir and Mirav Daniel, parents of deceased captive Oz Daniel; Reuma Arusi Tarshansky, mother of freed hostage Gali Tarshansky; Nira Sharabi, widow of slain hostage Yossi Sharabi, killed in Hamas detention.

Orna and Ronen Neutra, parents of Omer Neutra; Boaz, son of captive Arie Zalmanowicz, killed in Hamas detention; Irina Ariev, mother of freed hostage Karina Ariev; Dafna Shay Heiman, daughter of freed hostage Ditza Heiman; Maayan Sherman, mother of Ron Sherman, killed in Hamas detention; Ronen and Orna Neutra, parents of slain hostage Omer Neutra; Yuval Danzig, son of deceased captive Alex Danzig, killed in Hamas detention; Dvora Idan, mother of slain hostage Tsachi Idan, killed in Hamas detention; Ayelet Svatitzky, sister of deceased Nirim resident Roi Popplewell and sister of Nadav Popplewell, abducted and killed in captivity, and daughter of freed hostage Hanna Peri; Dana Or, mother of freed hostage Liam Or and sister of slain hostage Dror Or; Talma Atzili, mother of deceased captive Aviv Atzili; Ram and Guy Metzger, sons of Yoram Metzger, killed in detention, and freed hostage Tami Metzger; Sharon Lifshitz, daughter of Oded Lifshitz, killed in detention, and freed hostage Yocheved Lifshitz; Sharon, sister of Eden Yerushalmi, killed in detention; Yael Adar, mother of slain hostage Tamir Adar; Rani Goldin, brother of deceased captive Oren Goldin; Dalit Oron, mother of slain hostage Idan Shtivi; Efrat Avsker Yahalomi, sister of deceased captive Ohad Yahalomi, killed in Hamas detention; Shahar Levy, son of slain hostage Eitan Levy; Nisan Kalderon, brother of freed hostage Ofer Kalderon and uncle of freed hostages Sahar and Erez; Yitzhak Horn, father of freed hostages Yair Horn and Eitan Horn; Lee Segal, sister of freed hostage Keith Segal.

Yonatan Dekel-Chen, father of freed hostage Sagui Dekel-Chen; Yoav and Yonit Engel, parents of freed hostage Ofir Engel; Rotem Cooper, daughter of deceased captive Amiram Cooper, killed in Hamas detention; Chen Avigdori, husband of freed hostage Sharon Avigdori and father of freed hostage Noam Avigdori; Moshe Katz, father of freed hostage Doron Katz, abducted with daughters Raz and Aviv; Avital Kirsht, mother of freed hostage Rimon Kirsht; Aviram Meir, relative of freed hostage Almog Meir Jan; Maayan Segal-Koren, five of whose relatives survived detention, alongside scores of additional freed hostages and relatives.

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Israeli fighter jets fired three missiles at Sa'ad's vehicle in Gaza City, killing him. The US was informed of the strike only after it was carried out.

Sa'ad was considered the terrorist organization's second-in-command and the de facto deputy of Izz ad-Din al-Haddad, head of Hamas' military wing in Gaza.

According to the IDF statement, "In recent months, Sa'ad played a leading role in Hamas' military wing, including direct involvement in violating the ceasefire agreement. He also oversaw the continued production of weapons in the Gaza Strip during the ceasefire period."

ELIMINATED: Ra'ad Sa'ad, Head of the Weapons Production Headquarters of Hamas' Military Wing and One of the Architects of the Brutal October 7th Massacre

Sa'ad was one of the last remaining veteran senior militants in the Gaza Strip and a close associate of Marwan Issa, the… pic.twitter.com/nIa1VUqryI

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) December 13, 2025

Sa'ad, known by the alias Abu Moaz, was among the last senior veteran figures to remain in the Gaza Strip. He held a series of senior positions and was close to Marwan Issa, the deputy head of Hamas' military wing, who was also killed. Among other roles, Sa'ad established and commanded the Gaza City Brigade and was involved in setting up Hamas' naval force in the Gaza Strip.

After completing his tenure as commander of the Gaza Brigade, Sa'ad was appointed head of operations headquarters. In that role, he established the Nukhba units and took part in designing and building the "Jericho Wall" plan, the framework on which Hamas based its plans for the October 7 massacre.

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As part of the training and preparation at the camp, the terrorists underwent shooting drills and additional training in the use of various types of combat equipment, for the purpose of planning and executing terror operations against IDF forces and Israeli citizens.

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Sources in Lebanon have written off the Egyptian initiative, which was based on the complete disarmament of Hezbollah in the area south of the Litani River and a commitment not to use weapons in areas north of it against Israel.

Meanwhile, the Lebanese News Agency reported that an Israeli force blew up a residential building on the outskirts of the village of Meis al-Jabal in southern Lebanon.

In addition, European diplomatic officials in Beirut were reported to have quoted American envoy Morgan Ortagus as saying that Israel intends to carry out "large and harsh strikes" against Hezbollah, particularly in Dahieh and the eastern Bekaa region, if the terror organization does not hand over precision missiles and drones by the beginning of the new civil year.

It was also noted that US Ambassador to Beirut Michel Issa conveyed a message that the diplomatic track is separate from the war track against Hezbollah. Issa met with Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and later explained, "Israel separates between negotiations with the Lebanese government and its war with Hezbollah. What is happening is an attempt to reach a solution."

Against this backdrop, all parties were reported to be waiting for the end of the current month – the final deadline of the Lebanese army's plan to collect Hezbollah weapons in the area south of the Litani River and move north. Hezbollah has emphasized that the ceasefire agreement applies only to the area south of the Litani, while Israel and the US are waiting for steps by the army.

At the same time, informed sources told Al-Akhbar that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's reference to economic cooperation with Lebanon was not made in a vacuum. According to the sources, the Israeli side raised the matter in meetings of the oversight committee.

The sources noted that when the issue of economic cooperation was raised, according to the American vision for rehabilitating the border region, Lebanese representative Simon Karam made clear that "Lebanon first wants the occupation to end, the attacks to stop, residents of the area to return to their homes and villages, and no interference with the rehabilitation process. Lebanon sees this as a mandatory condition for any discussion about the future of this region."

The sources added that Lebanon has previously heard such ideas from American envoy Tom Barrack, including a proposal for an infrastructure project in the border area. For example, it was reported that "security stability will enable a process of building an economic cooperation zone" in which Gulf investors would operate. According to the sources, Tom Barrack estimated that "disarmament [of Hezbollah] is a difficult thing, and it is not possible to convince people to give up weapons without offering an alternative."

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UNRWA functions across Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, Jordan, and Syria, delivering aid, schooling, medical services, social assistance, and housing to millions of Palestinians. The administration has accused the organization of Hamas ties, charges UNRWA has forcefully disputed.

Washington previously served as UNRWA's largest funder before halting contributions in January 2024 following Israeli claims that approximately a dozen UNRWA staff participated in the deadly October 7, 2023, Hamas assault that ignited the Gaza conflict. Secretary of State Marco Rubio subsequently charged in October that the agency had evolved into "a subsidiary of Hamas," which America designated a terrorist organization in 1997.

Current American deliberations have not clarified whether the focus encompasses the entire agency or targets specific UNRWA officials or operational segments, and authorities appear undecided on the precise sanctions instrument they would employ, according to Reuters.

Potential measures State Department figures have explored include designating UNRWA a "foreign terrorist organization (FTO)," the sources indicated, though whether that option – which would severely isolate UNRWA financially – remains actively under consideration is uncertain.

Imposing terrorism-based sanctions on UNRWA would constitute a remarkable and extraordinary step, given America's UN membership and role as host nation for the United Nations, which established the agency in 1949.

William Deere, who leads UNRWA's Washington office, stated the organization would be "disappointed" if American authorities were genuinely exploring an FTO designation. He termed such action "both unprecedented and unwarranted."

"Since January 2024, four independent entities have investigated UNRWA's neutrality including the US National Intelligence Council. While occurring at different times and from different perspectives, they have all come to the same conclusion: UNRWA is an indispensable, neutral, humanitarian actor," Deere stated.

A State Department official responding to inquiries called UNRWA a "corrupt organization with a proven track record of aiding and abetting terrorists," according to the report. "Everything is on the table," the official stated. "No final decisions have yet been made."

State and other agencies possess multiple sanctions mechanisms, generally enabling asset freezes and travel restrictions aimed at specific individuals and entities. Numerous vital American allies provide UNRWA funding, prompting questions whether foreign officials could face penalties for supporting an organization if Washington sanctions UNRWA or its personnel on terrorism grounds.

The UN has stated nine UNRWA employees may have participated in the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack and were fired, according to the report. A Hamas commander in Lebanon – killed by Israel in September – was also discovered to have held a UNRWA position.

Individuals directly familiar with the UNRWA deliberations, who requested anonymity to reveal confidential discussions, privately voiced multiple humanitarian and legal apprehensions given the organization's unique role assisting displaced Palestinians.

Political appointees at State installed since Trump's term began have generally championed the drive to impose terrorism sanctions on UNRWA, the sources stated, according to the report. Numerous career State officials – including lawyers who craft designation language – have resisted, those sources added, Reuters reported.

In recent weeks, potential sanctions have been discussed by officials in State's Counterterrorism Bureau and Policy Planning Staff members, an influential internal policymaking entity, one source stated.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has spent years calling for UNRWA's dismantlement, accusing it of anti-Israeli incitemen. Since January 30, Israel has banned UNRWA operations on Israeli territory.

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"The genocide in Gaza has caused the killing of more than 70,000 people. This constitutes a grave violation of the values in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Unfortunately, the injustices in Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territories continue despite all the efforts of the international community," Erdoğan charged, according to statements quoted by the Turkish news agency.

The Turkish leader further emphasized that "the rehabilitation of Gaza, which has been turned into a pile of rubble, is a shared responsibility that rests on the shoulders of all humanity toward the Palestinians."

Meanwhile, Erdoğan addressed the domestic situation in his country, stating, "We will first achieve the goal of a Turkey without terrorism, and then, with God's help, we will announce the goal of a region without terrorism, based on development, solidarity, cooperation, and peace."

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