The Israeli military struck a car in Gaza City on Saturday carrying senior Hamas commander Raed Saad, one of the architects of the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks on Israel, according to an Israeli defense official and Israeli media.

The strike killed four people, according to Gaza health authorities. While there was no immediate confirmation from Hamas or medics whether Saad was among the dead, later an IDF spokesman confirmed Saad had been killed via a social media post.

The post read: "Every place where we identify that Hamas is trying to regroup, we act. Earlier today, the IDF eliminated Raad Saad, whose elimination constitutes a blow to Hamas's attempts at regrouping and strengthening. We will not allow our enemies to regroup and rebuild their strength. We will continue to be committed to continuing the ceasefire agreement."

It is the highest-profile assassination of a senior Hamas figure since a ceasefire deal came into effect Oct. 10.

The Israeli defense official described Saad as the head of Hamas' weapon manufacturing force.

Hamas sources have also described him as the second-in-command of the group's armed wing, after Izz al-Din al-Haddad.

Saad used to head Hamas' Gaza City battalion, one of the group's largest and best-equipped, those sources said.

The war in Gaza began after Hamas-led terrorists killed 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and seized 251 hostages in an attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

The Oct. 10 ceasefire has enabled hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to return to Gaza City's ruins. Israel has pulled troops back from city positions, and aid flows have increased.

But violence has not completely halted. Palestinian health authorities say Israeli forces have killed at least 386 people in strikes in Gaza since the truce. Israel says three of its soldiers have been killed since the ceasefire began, and it has attacked scores of fighters.