Israel said it killed a senior Hamas commander in a strike on a vehicle inside Gaza on Saturday.
In a statement, the Israeli army said it had “struck a key Hamas terrorist” in Gaza City.
Hamas Civil Defense spokesman Mahmoud Basal told the BBC that four people were killed in the strike. He added that several passers-by were also injured by the explosion.
Local sources said the strike may have targeted Raed Saad, a senior commander in Hamas’ military wing, the Qassam Brigades.
The BBC is blocked by Israel from reporting independently from Gaza and is unable to verify details of the incident.
Saad would be a member of the new five-member military leadership council established since the ceasefire took effect in October.
He is considered one of the most prominent Qassam commanders and led several brigades during the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israeli communities east of Gaza City.
Israel tried to kill him several times.
One of the most notable attempts took place during a surprise Israeli operation in Gaza City in March 2024, when Israeli forces reportedly sought to arrest or kill him. Sources at the time said Saad was inside the targeted compound but managed to escape moments before the raid.
He has long been considered one of the most wanted Hamas figures in Israel, with Israeli attempts to eliminate him spanning more than two decades.
Saturday’s attack took place on the Palestinian-controlled side of the so-called Yellow Line that has divided Gaza since an unstable US-led ceasefire took effect on October 10.
Israeli forces control the area east of the line, which includes just over half of the Gaza Strip.
The first phase of US President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan for peace in the region demanded the return of the 20 living and 28 dead hostages taken during the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023.
Around 1,200 people were killed in the attack and more than 250 people were taken hostage.
All were returned, except for the remains of an Israeli police officer, Ran Gvili, 24, who was reportedly killed while fighting Hamas gunmen in Kibbutz Alumim.
Since then, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, more than 70,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli military action.
Diplomatic attention now turns to the next stage of President Trump’s plan, which would require the disarmament of Hamas as part of what he calls the deradicalization and redevelopment of Gaza.
It envisions Gaza being run by “temporary transitional governance of a technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee,” overseen by a “Peace Council” chaired by Trump.
Security would be provided by an International Stabilization Force, although its composition remains unclear.
The end goal is for a reformed Palestinian Authority to take control of the territory and for Israeli forces to withdraw, after which “conditions could finally be created for a credible path to self-determination and the creation of a Palestinian state.”
Many aspects of the plan are controversial in Israel, where Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly rejected calls for the creation of a Palestinian state.
Trump is scheduled to meet with Netanyahu to discuss the plan in the United States on December 29.
