Hamas’s fourth most senior military commander in Gaza, Raad Saad, has been killed by an Israeli airstrike in northern Gaza on Saturday, according to local media.

The Israel Defence Forces struck a Hamas site in Gaza City’s Al-Shati camp on Saturday. Saad’s fate remains unknown following the attack, though Channel 12 News cited Arabic reports which suggested he had been killed.

There has been no confirmation from Israel or Hamas.

The head of Hamas's Operations Division, Saad is believed to possess extensive knowledge regarding Hamas’s rocket arsenal and tunnel infrastructure.

The IDF said its fighter jets struck two Hamas military sites in Gaza City – in the neighbourhoods of Shati and Tuffah – on Saturday. It is unusual for the terror group to announce specific strikes unless they are on a high-value target, such as a Hamas leader. The military said it would provide further details later.

Palestinian media has reported a large number of casualties. Ismail Al-Thawabta, the director of the Hamas-run government media office, told Reuters that at least 42 Palestinians had been killed. The figure does not distinguish between combatants and civilians.

The news comes months after initial reports that Raad had been killed in an exchange of fire at Gaza’s Shifa Hospital in late March.

The Israeli government has urged Gazans to help locate Raad, with flyers reportedly dropped by the IDF promising up to $800,000 for information on his whereabouts.