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A commander’s funeral becomes a referendum on Gaza’s ceasefire

A commander’s funeral becomes a referendum on Gaza’s ceasefire

Force in Play
By Newzino Staff |

Israel’s killing of Raed Saad/Saed forces Hamas to choose: absorb the hit or blow up the truce.

December 16th, 2025: Doha meeting to plan stabilization force (scheduled)

Overview

A senior Hamas commander is killed in a targeted Israeli strike. The next day, thousands pack the streets of Gaza for his funeral, coffins hoisted shoulder-high, flags everywhere, chants loud enough to carry the message: Hamas is still here.

This isn’t only about one man. It’s a stress test for the U.S.-brokered October ceasefire—whether Israel can keep hitting “rearmament” targets and whether Hamas can keep swallowing assassinations without retaliating until the truce collapses.

Key Indicators

391
Palestinians reportedly killed since the ceasefire began
Palestinian health officials’ toll cited amid near-daily clashes and strikes.
50%
Share of Gaza Israel is described as still controlling
Israeli forces hold the depopulated eastern half; Hamas dominates the west.
2025-12-16
Planned Doha conference on a Gaza stabilization force
U.S. Central Command is set to convene partners to plan the force.
2,000
Approximate Palestinian prisoners tied to the ceasefire’s first phase
Part of the exchange framework paired with remaining hostage releases.
70,660
Reported Palestinian deaths in the war since Oct. 2023
Gaza Health Ministry figure cited by AP; Israel disputes aspects of the accounting.

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People Involved

Raed Saad (also reported as Raed Saed)
Raed Saad (also reported as Raed Saed)
Senior Hamas military commander; linked to weapons production and force buildup (Killed in an Israeli strike in Gaza City area (Dec. 2025))
Khalil al-Hayya
Khalil al-Hayya
Hamas chief negotiator; senior leader based outside Gaza (Leading Hamas ceasefire messaging; pressing U.S. and mediators to restrain Israel)
Benjamin Netanyahu
Benjamin Netanyahu
Prime Minister of Israel (Defending continued military action during ceasefire; insisting Hamas disarmament is required)
Israel Katz
Israel Katz
Israeli Defence Minister (Backing targeted actions against Hamas during the ceasefire)
Donald Trump
Donald Trump
President of the United States (Broker and self-described guarantor of the Oct. 2025 ceasefire; pushing stabilization plan)
Ghassan Duhine
Ghassan Duhine
Leader of the Popular Forces (anti-Hamas armed group) (Claims responsibility for killing a Hamas internal security officer)

Organizations Involved

Hamas (Islamic Resistance Movement)
Hamas (Islamic Resistance Movement)
Palestinian Militant Organization
Status: Gaza power center trying to preserve armed capacity while extracting ceasefire concessions

Hamas is balancing ceasefire diplomacy with the risk that restraint looks like weakness after assassinations.

Israel Defense Forces (IDF)
Israel Defense Forces (IDF)
Military
Status: Continuing targeted strikes during ceasefire; holding positions across large parts of Gaza

The IDF is enforcing a buffer-and-strike model that risks turning “ceasefire” into permanent low-level war.

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM)
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM)
Unified Combatant Command
Status: Convening partners to plan a Gaza stabilization force tied to the ceasefire’s next phase

CENTCOM is turning the ceasefire from a deal into a security architecture project.

International Stabilization Force (proposed for Gaza)
International Stabilization Force (proposed for Gaza)
Multinational mission (UN-authorized concept)
Status: Authorized in principle; composition and mandate still contested

The proposed force is the ceasefire’s promised “landing gear” — and its biggest political minefield.

Timeline

  1. Doha meeting to plan stabilization force (scheduled)

    Diplomacy

    U.S. Central Command is set to host partner nations to plan the proposed International Stabilization Force meant to underpin the ceasefire’s next phase.

  2. Mass funeral rally; Hamas warns the ceasefire is at risk

    Force in Play

    Thousands gather for Saad/Saed’s funeral in Gaza City as Hamas’s negotiator urges Washington to force Israel to comply; Hamas says it has chosen a replacement commander.

  3. Anti-Hamas gunmen kill a Hamas internal security officer

    Force in Play

    A Hamas security officer is shot dead in central Gaza; Hamas blames collaborators, while an anti-Hamas group claims responsibility.

  4. Israel strikes and kills senior Hamas commander Raed Saad/Saed

    Force in Play

    Israel says it targeted a top Hamas commander it accused of rebuilding capabilities and preparing attacks; Hamas says a civilian vehicle was hit and calls it a truce violation.

  5. Israel signals the ‘Yellow Line’ is becoming a border

    Statement

    Israel’s military chief describes the internal Gaza boundary under the ceasefire plan as a new defensive border, hardening fears the truce is freezing a partition.

  6. UN backs a ‘Board of Peace’ and stabilization force concept

    Rule Changes

    A UN Security Council resolution authorizes a Board of Peace and countries working with it to establish a temporary International Stabilization Force tied to Gaza’s redevelopment.

  7. Ceasefire takes effect — and the map changes

    Diplomacy

    The truce begins as Palestinians return to ruins and Israel holds major areas inside Gaza, creating a contested internal boundary often dubbed the “Yellow Line.”

  8. Trump announces ceasefire framework

    Diplomacy

    A U.S.-drafted plan is announced and rapidly moves toward Israeli ratification and phased implementation, centered on hostages, prisoners, and troop pullbacks.

  9. Israel kills Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar

    Force in Play

    Israel announces it has killed Sinwar in Rafah, removing a central figure linked to Oct. 7 and hostage policy.

  10. Oct. 7 attack ignites the war

    Force in Play

    Hamas-led militants attack southern Israel, killing about 1,200 and taking 251 hostages. Israel launches a sweeping campaign in Gaza.

Scenarios

1

Ceasefire survives — but turns into a grinding ‘enforcement war’

Discussed by: Reuters reporting on unresolved terms and continued violence; AP reporting on ongoing killings and ‘Yellow Line’ incidents

Israel keeps striking what it calls rearmament nodes and militants near the internal boundary while holding large areas inside Gaza. Hamas absorbs the blows, replaces commanders, and limits retaliation to preserve mediator channels and avoid losing what the ceasefire already delivered. Phase-two talks stall, and the ceasefire becomes less a peace deal than a managed containment regime—stable enough to continue, violent enough to fail at any moment.

2

Hamas retaliates; Israel escalates; the ceasefire collapses

Discussed by: Reuters and regional diplomatic signaling about ‘viability’ risks; international concern reflected across major coverage

A high-profile Hamas response—rocket fire, cross-line attack, or a new hostage-related shock—gives Israel political justification to widen strikes beyond “enforcement.” Israel intensifies operations, Hamas mobilizes, and mediators lose control of sequencing. The stabilization-force plan becomes irrelevant overnight as both sides revert to wartime logic, with civilians paying the immediate price.

3

Deal patched: tougher monitoring, clarified boundaries, and a path to phase two

Discussed by: U.S. planning around an International Stabilization Force; Reuters reporting on a Board of Peace and Doha planning conference

Mediators use the shock of the assassination and funeral to force a reset: tighter rules for Israeli strikes, clearer markings and enforcement around the internal boundary, and a defined timetable for the next phase tied to hostages’ remains and prisoner releases. A credible multinational monitoring structure begins to form—enough to keep the ceasefire from collapsing, though far from resolving who ultimately governs Gaza.

Historical Context

Operation Pillar of Defense (Gaza) and the killing of Ahmed Jabari

2012-11

What Happened

Israel’s killing of Hamas military chief Ahmed Jabari was followed by rapid escalation and days of fighting. Egypt ultimately brokered a ceasefire that paused violence without settling core political disputes.

Outcome

Short Term

A ceasefire halted immediate fighting after a surge of strikes and rocket fire.

Long Term

Underlying drivers persisted, contributing to future cycles of war and truce breakdowns.

Why It's Relevant Today

Targeted killings can be tactically decisive yet strategically explosive when a ceasefire is already fragile.

UNIFIL’s expanded mandate after the 2006 Israel–Hezbollah war

2006-08 to present

What Happened

After the 2006 war, UNIFIL was expanded to help monitor hostilities and support a buffer dynamic in southern Lebanon. It reduced some forms of open conflict but could not fully prevent rearmament allegations or periodic flare-ups.

Outcome

Short Term

A multinational presence helped stabilize a front line and reduce large-scale clashes.

Long Term

The force’s limits shaped a long era of tense deterrence rather than a political settlement.

Why It's Relevant Today

Gaza’s proposed stabilization force faces the same dilemma: monitoring can freeze violence, not solve sovereignty.

Gaza ceasefire talks during the 2014 war (Protective Edge) and repeated truce failures

2014-07 to 2014-08

What Happened

Multiple temporary ceasefires were announced, violated, and renegotiated amid fighting. Negotiations produced a pause but left governance and demilitarization questions unresolved.

Outcome

Short Term

An end-of-war ceasefire reduced fighting after weeks of devastation.

Long Term

Unresolved governance and arms questions set conditions for later conflict.

Why It's Relevant Today

This story rhymes: phase-two issues—disarmament, withdrawal, governance—are where truces go to die.

8 Sources:
+4
Reuters Associated Press The Guardian U.S. Central Command Reuters The Guardian The Guardian The Guardian