TEHRAN – The assassination of senior Hamas commander Raed Saad in Gaza is a stark reminder that the so-called ceasefire framework imposed in October has collapsed under the weight of Israel’s repeated violations.
Far from halting aggression, the truce has served as a political façade, allowing Israel to continue its campaign of bombardment and targeted killings while Washington shields it from accountability. The strike near Gaza City on Saturday, which also wounded more than two dozen civilians, represents the most prominent assassination of a resistance leader since the truce was announced, underscoring the emptiness of the promises made by U.S. mediators.
Hamas’s Gaza chief Khalil al Hayya condemned the attack as proof that Israel never intended to respect the agreement, calling on mediators—especially the United States—to enforce the deal. His statement directly challenged President Donald Trump, who positioned himself as guarantor of the ceasefire but has failed to restrain Israel’s actions. For Palestinians, the assassination is not an isolated incident but part of a systematic campaign of violations that renders the truce meaningless.
Since October, Gaza authorities report that Israel has carried out nearly 800 attacks, killing at least 386 Palestinians despite the supposed halt in hostilities.
Overall, more than 70,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 2023, a staggering toll that exposes the brutality of the occupation and the hollowness of the ceasefire framework. The humanitarian situation has worsened as Israel blocks aid from freely entering Gaza, leaving hundreds of thousands of displaced families exposed to the flooding of 27,000 shelters during Storm Byron. The United Nations General Assembly overwhelmingly demanded that Israel open humanitarian access and halt attacks on UN facilities, yet Washington continues to block enforcement, exposing the double standard of U.S. mediation.
It has now become clearly evident that the U.S.-backed ceasefire is a sham, a diplomatic cover that enables Israel’s aggression while Gaza endures relentless suffering.
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