Assassinations and killings: Israel’s pattern of violating the Gaza ceasefire

On December 13, the Israeli military assassinated Raed Saad, one of the senior commanders of the al-Qassam Brigades. This was not the first attack on resistance leaders in Gaza; rather, it was a continuation of the Israeli regime’s policy in Gaza since the signing of the ceasefire agreement in October 2025.

From the very first days of the ceasefire, Palestinian civilians have been targeted for what has been described as “crossing the yellow line.” The yellow line marks areas under Israeli control, but it is not clearly defined.

Reports indicate that a clear pattern of assassinations began in mid-October. The killing of five resistance fighters on October 17 marked the start of the Israeli assassination campaign during the ceasefire, which has not diminished since.

On October 19, Yahya al-Mabhouh and Ahmad Abu Mutir, both resistance commanders, were assassinated.

Several resistance commanders, including Hatem al-Qadra on October 29, along with others, were assassinated and martyred.

On November 17, Wissam Abdelhadi, a commander in Gaza City and a leader in the al-Nasser Salah al-Din Brigades, was martyred.

On November 20, five senior Hamas commanders were assassinated, including Ahmad Abu Shamala, head of the naval unit; Nihad Abu Shehla, head of intelligence; Fadi Abu Mustafa; and others.

Similarly, on November 22, the occupying Israeli army announced the assassination of five more commanders, and then, on December 13, Raed Saad was martyred.

During the ceasefire, the occupying Israeli army has targeted all Palestinians in Gaza who were involved in resistance activities, regardless of their political affiliations—whether with Hamas or other resistance groups—just as it did during the war. These assassinations come in addition to more than 400 civilians whom the Israeli regime has killed in Gaza during this period.

The Israeli army is attempting, under various pretexts, to target Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip. It is also trying to provoke the resistance into direct confrontation in order to escape the ceasefire, using all available tools to achieve its objectives in Gaza.

Experts say what is happening constitutes a clear violation of the ceasefire by the occupiers, disregard for regional and international mediators, and an attempt to evade commitments under the agreement and delay the start of the second phase of the ceasefire.

A strategy to prevent the start of the second phase of the ceasefire

The Israeli regime’s pattern of assassinating leaders and turning the Gaza Strip into an open zone for military operations has become clear to any observer of the situation in Gaza. Assassinations, bombardments, the seizure and destruction of large areas within what are referred to as “yellow line” zones are all being carried out while negotiations over the second phase of the ceasefire agreement are ongoing.

The Motdovis website wrote that these actions appear to be Israel’s attempt to create a new reality on the ground for as long as it can.

Ahad Farwana, a political analyst and writer, said that the occupiers are seeking, through overt assassinations or armed actions, to establish new tactics aimed at perpetuating a state of tension in Gaza and turning it into the dominant condition.

Farwana stated that the Israeli regime periodically accelerates the pace of assassinations and tries to normalize the situation, similar to what it has done in Lebanon, but is now implementing this strategy on a much broader scale in the Gaza Strip.

He added that the Israeli regime wants to avoid the second phase of the ceasefire agreement because of the commitments it would entail.

According to local Palestinian sources, occupying Zionist forces have continued their aggression against the Gaza Strip, with artillery fire, gunfire, and destruction in various areas constantly reported.

Journalists say that invading Israeli units in eastern Gaza City, in addition to continuous artillery shelling and drone gunfire, are demolishing buildings. Similar incidents are reported in eastern Khan Younis in southern Gaza, where Israeli military vehicles intermittently open fire.

Israeli attacks across the Gaza Strip have continued, resulting in the martyrdom of Palestinians and the disappearance of others.