The other day, the IDF killed Ra’ad Sa’ad, one of the chief architects of the atrocities that Hamas carried out on October 7, 2023, and the last of the senior planners still alive. He was deeply involved with rearming Hamas in violation of the Trump Peace Plan. Ever since the ceasefire went into effect, Hamas has been intermittently attacking Israeli targets. Most recently, an IED laid by Hamas operatives wounded two IDF soldiers. This was the proximate cause for the IDF to take out Sa’ad, which it did with a pinpoint strike that hit only the car he was riding in, killing him and two of his guards, but did no other damage.
More on the White House reaction to the killing of Ra’ad Sa’ad can be found here: “Trump looking into whether Israel violated ceasefire by killing Hamas leader,” Jerusalem Post, December 15, 2025:
US President Donald Trump on Monday said his administration was looking into whether Israel violated the Gaza ceasefire by killing a Hamas leader on Saturday.
Earlier, two American sources told Axios that the White House had sent a message to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, expressing Washington’s anger over the assassination of senior Hamas official Sa’ad Ra’ad, which it described as an Israeli violation of the Gaza ceasefire agreement.
It is Hamas that has been steadily violating the ceasefire; Israel has only been responding to those violations, including the latest one — the planting of an IED that wounded two IDF soldiers. If Israel were not to respond, Hamas would only increase its attacks. By responding with attacks of its own, Israel is only trying to enforce the ceasefire. The American anger with Israel for doing this is outrageous.
Sa’ad, the former deputy commander of Hamas’s military wing and one of the architects of Hamas’s October 7 attacks, was killed in an Israeli strike over the weekend.
It was previously confirmed that Jerusalem did not inform Washington of the attack in advance of the strike. Israel denied accusations it violated the ceasefire, instead asserting that Hamas broke the agreement by planning an explosive attack which wounded two soldiers.
Israel is not a client state of the US; it is under no obligation to keep Washington informed of its every military move, and plans for an impending assassination need for obvious reasons to be kept close to the vest. The IDF may well have feared that someone in the Trump administration could warn Ra’ad Sa’ad of an impending attack. With the Trump administration, anything — including such a betrayal of an ally — is possible.
The White House is also reported to have characterized the killing of Ra’ad Sa’ad as “a provocation to the Arabs.” A provocation? Anything Israel does to defend itself is a “provocation” to the Arabs. Every time Mossad or the IDF assassinates a Hamas or Hezbollah or Islamic Jihad commander, or bombs a weapons depot, or hits a missile-launching site, it is committing what Arabs will regard as a “provocation.” Israel’s very existence constitutes a “provocation” to most Arabs.
“The killing of Ra’ad Sa’ad, an arch-terrorist who worked day in and day out to violate the agreement and renew the fighting, was carried out in response to these violations and was intended to ensure the continuation of the ceasefire,” an Israeli official told Axios….
It is Hamas that has repeatedly violated the ceasefire, not just by planting an IED the other day that wounded two IDF soldiers, but in a dozen previous attacks. These include the following, in the first five days of November alone:
- On November 1, Hamas handed over three bodies of those it claimed to be deceased hostages. However, none of the three sets of remains belonged to any of the hostages, according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office.
- On November 2, the IDF said it identified a terrorist who had crossed the Yellow Line and was approaching Israeli troops in northern Gaza. The IDF said that “following the identification, and in order to remove the threat to the troops, the [Israeli Air Force] struck the terrorist.”
- A nearly identical incident happened on November 3. However, this time, multiple individuals crossed the Yellow Line “and advanced toward IDF troops in southern Gaza, posing an immediate threat to them,” according to the IDF, which added that Israeli troops fired on them “to remove the threat to the troops.”
- Also on November 3, Israel assessed that approximately 200 Hamas fighters were located in tunnels within Israeli-controlled areas of southern Gaza, including Rafah. Hamas terrorists had been required to withdraw from the area immediately upon the ceasefire’s implementation.
- On November 4, the IDF stated that a terrorist once again crossed the Yellow Line and approached Israeli troops. According to the IDF, “the terrorist was eliminated.”
- On November 5, in two separate instances, the IDF reported that “two terrorists were identified crossing the yellow line and advancing toward IDF troops in central Gaza.” The IDF eliminated the individuals.
Prime Minister Netanyahu needs no lectures from Washington about this killing of Ra’ad Sa’ad. Trump’s manic fixation on enlarging the Abraham Accords, even if it means holding Israel back from defending itself, is madness. For defending itself is all that Israel did with the targeted killing of Ra’ad Sa’ad. It removed a dangerous enemy, one of the masterminds of the October 7 attacks, who was in the midst of rebuilding Hamas so that it might be able to carry out such attacks again.
“The US doesn’t ask Netanyahu to compromise Israel’s security. We ask him not to take steps that are perceived in the Arab world as provocations,” an American official told Axios.
Killing Ra’ad Sa’ad was certainly a defensive act, as described in the Babylonian Talmud: “If someone is coming to kill you, rise up and kill him first.” To be angry with Israel for this act of self-defense is unacceptable. Of course, some Arabs will think this is a “provocation,” just as they think that every time the IDF or Mossad assassinates a leader of Hamas, Hezbollah, or Palestinian Islamic Jihad, this is a “provocation.” In fact, for most Arabs and Muslims, the very existence of Israel is a “provocation.”
Israel is still engaged in a seven-front war, and both Hamas and Hezbollah are violating their respective ceasefires in Gaza and Lebanon. Israel does not need to be lectured or hectored by the United States on what it does to defend itself. When Ra’ad Sa’ad was killed, the Americans ought to have issued the following statement:
“We congratulate Israel on removing Ra’ad Sa’ad, one of the chief architects of the October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas. Sa’ad was in the midst of helping Hamas to rearm, in direct violation of the ceasefire agreement, and the IDF simply carried out, in a precision operation, an act that makes not only Israel, but the world, a safer place.”
Stive says
Am fully convinced that trump sold his soul to the devil in a deal so much change and anger forthcoming. Just sad.
࿗Infidel࿘ says
The devil being Qatar, and binfidelkaurava@aol.comoy, did they have the money to grease him!!!
Peacelover says
Totally agree Mr.Fitzgerald
Horatio says
Have no doubt that the president of the USA consistently sides with Evil.
rubiconcrest says
Peace at any cost is not peace, it’s appeasement. Trump needs to respect the history of the religion/political movement that is Islam. He has less than a year in office, and he has the hubris to think he can ignore that history?
somehistory says
Ezekiel 38 and 39…Isarel is attacked by ‘hordes from the North….Persia” is named as being in the lead.. and the small nation is “without a wall.”
somehistory says
OT
“An illegal immigrant in Virginia has been arrested on charges of homicide just a day after he was let out of jail on a separate offense by a progressive district attorney whose campaign was funded by George Soros.
Steve Descano, prosecutor for Fairfax County, Virginia, dropped all charges against a 23-year-old illegal immigrant from El Salvador with a criminal history, allowing the suspect to go free into the community, only to be picked up by police on a suspected murder charge a day later, local media outlet WJLA reported.
Morales-Ortez had a long list of felony arrests in the county, but was released from jail on Tuesday after Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office dropped the charges for brandishing a firearm and assaulting and injuring someone.”
Just the same as muzzies are being treated….so they get the opportunity to murder innocent people.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/illegal-immigrant-was-released-from-jail-by-soros-district-attorney-one-day-before-allegedly-killing-virginia-man/ar-AA1SChv7?ocid=msedgntp&pc=HCTS&cvid=694475226d6145cb8e200f02d1f1984f&ei=15
Wellington says
While Trump remains infinitely preferable to Obama and Biden, both of whom did so much harm to America, quite frankly I have begun to wonder about Trump where the Mideast is concerned and also in other areas, for example the Russian/Ukrainian conflict. Anyone out there who generally admires Trump and is thankful he is President but who nonetheless wants, like myself, to register doubts?
And I would add this: If Trump ain’t good enough, who is that is accurately knowledgeable AND electable (N.B., both are important). I fear that mankind may very well still be descending into a very dark age. Yes I do.
somehistory says
Wellington,
When it comes to humans ruling over us, I remember the Psalm where readers are told, “Do not put your trust n nobles nor the son of earthling man, to whom no salvation belongs.”
And the Proverbs where it is explained about a ‘wise’ King and one who is a tyrant, and how each affects the population..
Some “rulers” are much better than others, but can still make very serious mistakes. Trump seems fixated on helping the tyrants of the world….while still his admin is rounding up some bad illegals.
I think it’s called a conundrum.
James Lincoln says
Wellington says,
“Anyone out there who generally admires Trump and is thankful he is President but who nonetheless wants, like myself, to register doubts?”
You can count me.
Pres. Trump’s Achilles’ heel is his lack of a basic understanding of plain-vanilla islam.
He could at least start the process by spending a long weekend with Robert Spencer.
Karen Dowden says
Perfectly said. He does not have a clue about Islam and thinks peace deals can work. Hard Core Islam does not cater for anything but conquest and the submission of those conquered, The administration better get a person/persons who are versed in this area to guide and make proper decisions, And the faster the better!!!!!. Why doesn’t Robert and Ayaan ask for a meeting with President Trump or someone senior in the administration.
࿗Infidel࿘ says
Wellington
I was underwhelmed by Ron DeSantis last year when he ran, for a variety of reasons. However, if he were to run against JD Vance, I’d vote for him, given his declaration of his intent to ban the muslim brotherhood and CAIR. I’m open to JD, but I need to see evidence that on the Israel issue, he’s not on the same page as Tucker
About the above main story, not only do I agree w/ Hugh: I think Israel should from now on take the same stance w/ Trump that they took w/ Biden, and limit intelligence sharing. If Netanyahu thinks he is beholden to Trump, he should step aside in favor of someone who isn’t – preferably Itamar Ben-Gvir. Let someone like the latter, who’s tougher on issues like Judea and Samaria (I believe he lives in a settlement near Hebron?) come to the top, and start playing hardball. B’cos until now, Israel has been willing to make ridiculous concessions, whereas concessions by Hamas have been minimal
Rarely says
If you don’t show that you are beholding to Trump he treats you as an enemy. An enormous ego but very fragile. Anyone dealing with him is caught between a rock and a hard place.
Suck up or be destroyed. So many examples.
Vance? Don’t be ridiculous. He only believes in conspiracy theories that are true. Get real.
࿗Infidel࿘ says
If something is true, it’s not a conspiracy theory
Well, he’s alleged to have sucked up to Putin, but the latter, despite the flattery, or genuine praise, did not end up doing what Trump wanted him to do
Golan Heights says
There is noting the Israel lobby can do for Trump any more, he does not have an election to run.
All his business interest and future will be in Muslim countries, like his deals in Pakistan, Qatar and many others. I love Trump, but his brand is damaged in western Christian nations, and he is looking out for his interests.
I would not be afraid for Israel, Trump will for sure not kick them to the curb, we are just moving to a pro-Muslim stance.
Never forget. We never fought along side Israel in its serious wars, but we came in to protect Muslims like Kuwait, Saudi Arabia. So in a way, Trump is not out of the norm.
gravenimage says
The idea that Hamas’ attack on 10/7 is not a serious war is pretty iffy.
Israel is a staunch ally of ours–this is not true of any Islamic country.
gravenimage says
+1
OLD GUY says
Islamic leaders will make all kinds of economic deals no matter the cost to keep borders open for their Migration Invasion of America and its allies.
Deano says
The anger at Israel is for the public, behind the scenes he probably told Bibi, “Good Job!”
gravenimage says
But condemning Israel for the public–who, those who support Hamas?–is almost as bad.
Brenrod says
Israel has no legal or moral imperative to honor the cease fire agreement once the hostages are returned because an agreement made under duress is neither morally binding nor legally enforceable. Kidnappers and murderers holding hostages for ransom have no right to rely on agreements made to secure release.
A more important question is the need to prosecute Hamas AND. their supporters/abettors in Gaza plus Gazas responsibility to pay for damages and reparations to Israel. I suggest that Israel appropriate Gazas gas resources until damages paid plus Israel set up military courts in Gaza to prosecute Gazan war criminals. Israel must stop being a patsy helping “civilian” war criminals rebuild before seizing payment for its own damages. Also all nations who aided Hamas through arms, smuggling and tunnel building should have their resources seized. Another form of payment is land.
࿗Infidel࿘ says
Hamas has already violated the ceasefire several times. If Israel attacks, it won’t be the one breaking the ceasefire
Rob says
They are not allowed by Trump. They can get one in here and there, but Trump calls every time angry.
Gulf influence is at an all time high, as they even have a defense deal that even Israel does not.
Qatar calls the shots in that region. They can even force applogies from Israel.
You must be from India. Trump also is siding with Pakistan.
gravenimage says
Trump Angry with Israel for IDF Killing Arch-Terrorist Ra’ad Sa’ad
………………………………………………………….
Moral insanity.