The Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, made a statement on Sunday accusing Israel of violating the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip following Israel's latest airstrike a day earlier.
In the statement, Al-Qassam Brigades confirmed the death of its senior commander Raad Saad, who was one of the founders of Hamas' armed wing, and head of Hamas' production headquarters, responsible for the in-house production of rocket launchers, missiles, and anti-tank weapons.
In addition, the Al-Qassam Brigades strongly condemned Israel's continued killings of its commander and attacks on the people of Gaza in the statement, describing Israel's actions as "crossing all red lines."
The statement called on the United States and relevant mediators to bear responsibility, emphasizing that the Al-Qassam Brigades reserves the right to respond to aggression and defend itself by all available means. It also announced the appointment of a new commander to succeed Raad Saad.
Earlier on Sunday, the Israeli military described Saad as one of the planners of the Hamas-led attack on Israel on Oct 7, 2023, and "one of the last remaining senior militants" in Gaza.
It added that Saad was directly responsible for "violations" of the ceasefire agreement by Hamas in recent months, accusing him of overseeing the continued production of weapons during the ceasefire.
Also, on Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said during a meeting that Israel's objective is the disarmament of Hamas. He identified Raad Saad as a key leader in Hamas's efforts to rebuild its military capabilities, justifying the precision strike targeted at him.
Netanyahu declared that Israel's policy is clear and that it will not tolerate systematic violations of the ceasefire agreement by Hamas. He further noted that Israel is nearing the completion of the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire deal and is currently working to recover the remains of the last Israeli hostage.
Hamas armed wing condemns Israeli strike as breach of ceasefire
Hamas armed wing condemns Israeli strike as breach of ceasefire
Hamas armed wing condemns Israeli strike as breach of ceasefire
Chinese rescue teams retrieved 17 Filipino crew members from a shipwreck in the South China Sea, authorities said on Friday.
Fifteen of those rescued were in stable condition, while two were found dead. Four others remained missing as of Friday evening.
At 00:46 on Friday, the Sansha maritime search and rescue branch received a report from the Hainan provincial maritime search and rescue center, which said a Singapore-registered cargo ship "DEVON BAY", en route from the Philippines to south China's Guangdong Province, had lost contact in waters about 55 nautical miles northwest of China's Huangyan Dao, with 21 Filipino crew members on board.
According to the provincial center, the last contact with the ship was at 21:26 on Thursday, when the ship crew reported that the hull had tilted severely and water was flooding in. Contact was lost after that, while the ship's emergency wireless position indicator later sent out an alarm signal.
Upon receiving the report, the Sansha maritime search and rescue branch immediately launched a multi-agency international rescue operation.
The Chinese People's Liberation Army Southern Theater Command sent military aircraft to conduct search operations over the waters where the accident occurred. Two nearby China Coast Guard (CCG) vessels also joined the rescue mission, along with teams from the Nanhai Rescue Bureau of the Ministry of Transport.
Multiple international commercial vessels, including ships registered in Liberia, Panama and Japan, also joined the search operation.
At 04:28 on Friday, CCG vessels found and rescued four crew members from a lifeboat. Severe sea conditions, with high winds and rough waves, posed significant challenges to the rescue operation. The search and rescue effort is still ongoing, authorities said.
The 15 Filipino sailors in stable condition have received medical treatment and are under proper care aboard a Chinese vessel, according to the CCG.
"I really feel very safe in China Coast Guard [vessel], taking me from water to the accommodation. I really feel safe. And at nighttime, I seen (saw) a Coast Guard [vessel] that was moving around the area, and that is why at that time, I am (was) telling myself that 'No, I will not die at this time, I will survive,'" said one of the rescued sailors.
China rescues 17 Filipino sailors in South China Sea shipwreck, 4 still missing
