The Israeli military launched airstrikes against Hamas targets in Gaza City on Saturday, with reports indicating the bombings aimed to assassinate one of the terror group’s most senior commanders.

Multiple Hebrew and Arabic media outlets are identifying the likely target as Raad Saad, considered to be one of Hamas’ top chiefs in Gaza after its leader Yahya Sinwar and notorious bomb maker Mohammad Deif.

As chief of Hamas’ operations wing, Saad oversaw the planning and execution of Hamas’ savage butchery against Israel on October 7.

While neither Israel nor Hamas have confirmed Saad’s status, Arab media claims the airstrikes resulted in at least 42 casualties, without specifying whether the deaths were of terrorists or civilians.

Just months ago, Israeli forces had raided a Gaza hospital where Saad was believed to be receiving treatment, though he reportedly managed to evade capture at that time. If Saad was in fact killed, his death would mark Israel’s highest-profile assassination of a Hamas commander since its March operation that eliminated Saad’s deputy Marwan Issa.

Israel’s systematic strikes on Hamas leadership may be its most viable path to ending the war in Gaza until a political resolution emerges. However, Hamas’ intimate ties to the Iranian regime and massive financial resources virtually ensure any slain operatives will rapidly be replaced.