Jerusalem: Israel said it killed the head of weapons production in Hamas's military wing in a strike in the Gaza Strip on Saturday.

The civil defence agency and medical sources in the Hamas-run Palestinian territory told AFP an Israeli strike killed five people in the Tel al-Hawa district, southwest of Gaza City.

Contacted by AFP, the army said there was only one strike conducted in the area which killed the top Hamas figure, Raad Saad.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz said in a joint statement that "in response to the detonation of a Hamas explosive device that wounded our forces today in the Yellow Area of the Gaza Strip... (they) instructed the elimination of the terrorist Raad Saad".

Under the US-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas

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