DOHA (Palestine Foundation Information Center) Khalil al-Hayya, a member of the political bureau of Hamas and the head of the Movement in the Gaza Strip, said on Wednesday evening that what happened on October 7, 2023—a miraculous and military accomplishment carried out by the elite of the Al-Qassam Brigades—will remain a source of pride for the Palestinian people and their resistance, passed down from generation to generation. He emphasized, “Gaza has proven that our enemy will not defeat our people and our resistance, and they will not see a moment of weakness or defeat from us.”
Al-Hayya confirmed in a speech following the announcement of an agreement to cease hostilities in the Gaza Strip that the Al-Aqsa Flood has severely impacted the enemy, asserting that the Palestinian people will regain their full rights, and this occupation will soon be expelled from their land, sacred sites, and Al-Quds (Jerusalem).
He explained that the war launched by the occupation forces will remain a stain on the conscience of humanity and the silent and complacent world. He stressed that the Palestinian people will never forget anyone who participated in this brutal war, saying, “Our enemy will not see a moment of weakness or defeat from us.”
Al-Hayya added that the occupation secretly sought to liquidate the Palestinian cause and destroy the Gaza Strip, retaliating against its people through displacement, but these plans have failed.
He indicated that the occupation has not achieved any of its declared or hidden goals; the people have steadfastly remained on their land, clinging to their rights, and have remained the solid shield of their resistance.
He referred to the heroism of the Al-Qassam fighters who astonished the world with their bravery in the battle of October 7, as they resisted with honor and ethics until the last moment, affirming that the qualitative operations executed by the Al-Qassam heroes were unprecedented in their audacity and valor, resulting in significant blows to the occupation forces.
He spoke about the men of Saraya Al-Quds, the armed wing of Islamic Jihad, who stood alongside their brothers in Al-Qassam, exemplifying the model of free guerrilla fighting. He highlighted that these fighters offered their lives cheaply for the sake of Allah, for their homeland, and in defense of their people.
Al-Hayya stressed that the occupation has failed in its repeated attempts to undermine the determination of the Palestinian people and their resistance, saying that the occupation was unable to break the people’s steadfastness; on the contrary, its wounds deepened, and destruction increased in the Palestinian territories.
He noted that the occupation was only able to restore its prisoners through an agreement with the resistance, emphasizing that the steadfastness of the Palestinian people, their great sacrifices, and the valor of their resistance have thwarted the goals of the occupation and failed its unjust plans.
Support fronts
Al-Hayya expressed his deep gratitude to everyone who stood with the Palestinian people on the support fronts, particularly in brotherly Lebanon and Hezbollah. He mentioned that Hezbollah has offered hundreds of martyrs from leaders and fighters on the road to Al-Quds, led by Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah and his brothers in the leadership.
He added that the Lebanese people have made significant sacrifices and displayed great patience in defense of and support for the Palestinian people. He affirmed that Ansar Allah in Yemen are true brothers who transcended geographical distances and changed the equations of war and the region, launching missiles and drones at the heart of the occupation.
He praised the Islamic Republic of Iran for its support of the Palestinian resistance and its people and for its involvement in the battle, striking the heart of the enemy in the operations of the “True Promise.”
He pointed out that the Iraqi resistance has overcome all obstacles to contribute to the support of Palestine and its resistance, reaching its missiles and drones to our occupied lands.
Additionally, he expressed his thanks and appreciation to the mediators in Qatar and Egypt, who have made strenuous efforts and conducted multiple rounds of negotiations since day one. He mentioned the illuminating stances of many countries that stood by the Palestinian people, such as Türkiye, South Africa, Algeria, Russia, China, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the free people of the world.
Al-Hayya asserted that the Palestinian people are entering a new phase in proud Gaza—a phase of construction, consolation, removing the devastating results of aggression, and reconstruction, a phase of solidarity and empathy.
Qatar’s Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, announced this evening that an agreement has been reached for a ceasefire between the Palestinian resistance factions and Israel in the Gaza Strip after 15 months of war in which the occupation committed acts of genocide and thousands of massacres, met with fierce resistance until the last breath.
The Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, announced on Wednesday evening that the Movement’s leadership has handed the mediators its response to the proposed ceasefire agreement.
Hamas added that its political bureau held an emergency meeting to discuss the proposal submitted by the mediators. It emphasized that it dealt with the proposal “with full responsibility and positivity, based on its responsibility towards our steadfast people in Gaza, to stop the Zionist aggression against them and to put an end to the massacres and genocide they are experiencing.”
It is noteworthy that the indirect negotiations for a ceasefire and prisoner exchange, mediated by Qatari, Egyptian, and American parties, have stalled multiple times over the past months due to the intransigence of the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his procrastination and evasion of what was agreed upon for political purposes.
However, Stephen Mnuchin, Trump’s envoy to the Middle East, exerted pressure on Netanyahu in recent days to accept “the necessary concessions” to finalize the current deal before Trump’s inauguration on January 20.
