Chief Negotiator Warns Israel's Killing of Senior Hamas Commander Threatens Ceasefire

Khalil al-Hayya. (Source: IRNA)

JAKARTA - Hamas chief negotiator Khalil al-Hayya warned on Sunday that Israel's attack, which targeted the killing of one of the Palestinian militant group's senior commanders, threatened "the continuation of the ceasefire" in the region.

In a televised speech, al-Hayya, who is also the head of Hamas Gaza in exile, confirmed Israel's attack on Saturday killed one of Hamas' senior commanders, Raed Saed.

"Israel's continued violations of the ceasefire agreement and the latest killing targeting Saed and others threaten the continuation of the agreement," al-Hayya said, launching Al Arabiya from Reuters (14/12).

"We call on the mediators, and especially the main guarantor, the US government and President Donald Trump to work to oblige Israel to respect the ceasefire and commit to it," he said.

It is the most high-profile killing of a senior Hamas figure since a Gaza truce deal brokered by Egypt, Qatar, the United States and Turkey came into force last October.

Hamas sources describe Saed as the second in command of the group's armed wing, after Izz eldeen al-Hadad.

Israel itself accuses Saed of being one of the main architects of the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel that triggered the war.

On the occasion, Al-Hayya also spoke about the proposal for the International Stabilization Force (ISF) which was passed by the UN.

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"The role of international forces should be limited to maintaining a ceasefire and separating the two sides along the Gaza border without any role inside the Gaza Strip or interference in its domestic affairs," he said.

The deployment is a key part of the next phase of US President Donald Trump's Gaza peace plan.

Under the first phase, a fragile ceasefire in the two-year-old war began on October 10 with Hamas freeing hostages and Israel freeing Palestinian prisoners.