GAZA (Palestine Foundation Information Center) Dr. Khalil al-Hayya, the head of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, said that the Palestinian people and their valiant resistance achieved their goals, with Allah’s help, in the glorious Al-Aqsa Flood battle. Among these goals was to humiliate this occupying entity, to topple its image as an invincible entity, and to break the aura of its army as an unbeatable force. He asserted that the defeat of Israel is now possible, and the liberation of all of Palestine is achievable.
In a statement on Friday evening, al-Hayya said, “After the battles ceased and the dust settled, the resistance decided to officially announce the retirement of a number of senior leaders who shed their pure blood on this blessed land, allowing the tree of dignity and honor to grow and bloom with heroism and victory. They fulfilled their duty and passed the banner to a new generation of steadfast leaders to continue the journey toward Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa, paving the way for the great return.”
He added, “Our blessed Movement, as it has always done, remains at the forefront of martyrs, joining our people in the same trench and sharing their sacrifices. The blood and remains of our leaders mixed with those of our people.”
He emphasized that the leaders willingly give their lives for Allah’s sake alongside the soldiers, unafraid of death, confronting the enemy on the frontlines in the path of resistance for a free and dignified Palestine.
Al-Hayya expressed sorrow upon hearing the successive news of the martyrdom of the leaders he had known and worked closely with for many years, who were loyal to their cause and the higher interests of their people.
He pointed out that the martyr leaders engaged in heroic battles and legendary sacrifices alongside thousands of fighters and soldiers from the Al-Qassam Brigades and their brothers from other resistance factions, striving for the elevation of their religion and homeland.
He said, “This blessed group of martyr leaders, who sacrificed their blood without hesitation after inflicting severe losses on the enemy for many years, inscribed pages of glory that history will immortalize with letters of light and fire.”
Khalil al-Hayya continued, “History will remember that the heroes of the Al-Qassam Brigades and the resistance brought the enemy to its knees, fulfilling their promise to our people and upholding their oath.”
He noted, “We see the heroic prisoners being freed one after another, while the occupiers leave our territory humiliated and defeated, pursued by the blows of the resistance fighters and the judgments of those who support Palestine and its people.”
He said, “Today we bid farewell to this group of great leaders, with whom we lived and worked for many years. While we mourn their loss, we take pride in them and their martyrdom. Our consolation is that they left as martyrs, having neither faltered nor weakened, but rather stood at the forefront of the faithful and struggling, facing this battle with dignity and strength.”
He specifically mentioned the leader of jihad and resistance, the man loved by millions, who was cheered for without anyone knowing his image. His name shook the hearts of the enemies, and his shadow terrified and pursued them—the inspiring martyr leader, Muhammad Deif “Abu Khalid”, the “fierce lion who spent his life being pursued by his enemies and overcame all his pursuers for over thirty years.”
He pointed out that martyr Deif began his struggle in an era when they had neither rifles nor bullets, with only a sound vision and strong will.
He highlighted that martyr leader Muhammad Deif, with the help of Allah and his living and martyred brothers: Yasser al-Namrouti, Imad Aqel, and Salah Shehada, built an army that many armies around the world cannot achieve.
He added, “An army that strikes the enemy without hesitation, breaking through borders and engaging in battles and heroics, an army based on the steadfast fighters, before weapons and equipment… fighters with clear vision and sound belief… an army embraced by a society of resistance ready for any sacrifice for its freedom and independence.”
He continued, “On the same path is the wise martyr leader, with keen insight, sound mind, and burning ambition, ‘Abu al-Baraa’ Marwan Issa, who always worked in silence but was loud in his actions.”
He went on, “The remarkable martyrs who crafted the Flood include the martyr leader Ayman Nofal, martyr leader Ghazi Abu Tamah, martyr leader Raed Thabet, martyr leader Rafiq Salameh, and martyr leader Ahmad al-Ghandour.”
He noted that each had their unique imprint and significant role in this great construction until it was completed and strengthened, becoming resilient against defeat, by Allah’s help and success. The great battle of the Al-Aqsa Flood began, marking the crucial difference between the possible and the impossible, proving that there is no impossibility before a people fighting for their freedom and a resistance that possesses its decision, will, and weapons.
Al-Hayya said, “Today we stand with our companions on the path with whom we have worked for many long years, leading this blessed Movement and directing its course under the precise calculations imposed by the circumstances of different stages.”
He added, “With Allah’s help and the wisdom and courage of our martyr leaders, as well as the blessings of Shura and the blood of martyrs, we were able to navigate through harsh stages and difficult challenges, fulfilling our responsibilities with high ambition and diligent movement to turn plans and visions into realities on the ground, especially starting the liberation project.”
He recalled the martyr leader Ismail Haneyya, the nation’s great loss and a great national symbol, this quiet, wise hero who concealed behind his calmness and smile the volcano of a revolutionary fighter.
He also remembered the brave fighter leader, the master of the Flood, the leader whose mark is significant in the history of Hamas and our Palestinian people, which will remain engraved from generation to generation, the martyr leader “Abu Ibrahim” Yahya Sinwar, who became an icon for every free and honorable person around the world who rejects oppression and aggression, the revolutionary leader in combat. And the martyr leader Saleh al-Arouri, head of Hamas in the West Bank, who participated in founding the Al-Qassam Brigades in the West Bank, a fighter in and out of prison, who revived the resistance project in the West Bank with spirit and life, unafraid of death.
He also remembered the other martyr leaders, each of whom had their unique imprint and blessed effort in the journey of this Movement.
Al-Hayya said, “We have lost these leaders, we have lost this experience and expertise, but we are content that they rose as martyrs, moving forward and not retreating, confidently toward a generous Lord.”
He emphasized that all these heroes left behind a generation raised on the tables of the Quran and in the arenas of jihad and resistance, a generation equipped with the awareness, understanding, and will necessary to complete the journey and fulfill what the founding leaders began, led by the founding Sheikh Ahmad Yassin.
He concluded by saying, “We pledge to Allah and to our people that we will remain on the same path and that we will fulfill what the founding leaders died for, whose bodies may have departed from us, but their spirits, ideas, and legacy are present among us, illuminating the way toward Jerusalem, Al-Aqsa, liberation, and return, by Allah’s permission.”
