Following the signing of the ceasefire agreement with Israel on January 17, 2025, many Hamas officials came out with boastful declarations of victory. Speaking mainly in the Qatari media, they bragged about the October 7 attack, and promised that the present war was just one station in the struggle against Israel and that Hamas would continue the jihad against it. The agreement, they said, is a result of the steadfastness of the Palestinian people, which understands that the war victims are the price that must be paid in the struggle for freedom.
They added that the agreement will "restore things to the way they were before October 7," and that the resistance will not lay down its arms and will ensure that the agreement is fulfilled to the letter. They said that Hamas has been given guarantees that the war in Gaza will not resume, and also noted that, as part of the agreement, hundreds of Hamas fighters will leave Gaza for medical treatment abroad.[1]
The officials emphasized that the agreement signed a few days ago is the same agreement that has been on the table since May 2024, and that, had the Biden administration made the same efforts as the envoy of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, "the agreement would have been signed back then."
The following are translated excerpts from statements by Hamas officials on the agreement with Israel.
Hamas Official Khalil Al-Hayya: We Will Continue The Jihad And The Resistance; October 7 Was A Military Miracle Performed By Hamas' Elite Forces, And Will Be A Source Of Pride For The Palestinians For Generations To Come
Hamas official Khalil Al-Hayya said in a speech that was aired on the Qatari Al-Jazeera channel: "[Israel] failed to accomplish any of its declared or secret goals. Our people have stood their ground, and they did not leave or become displaced. These people served as an impenetrable shield for their resistance… This war started for the sake of Jerusalem. Our guiding compass will continue to point to Jerusalem and the Al-Aqsa Mosque. They will continue to be the goal of our jihad and our resistance, until the liberation and the establishment of the independent state, with Jerusalem as its capital, Allah willing."
He added: "We salute our martyred leaders, whose body parts were scattered all over in this war… We will proceed on the path of the martyred leaders until we achieve victory or martyrdom, Allah willing… The security and military miracle and accomplishment of October 7, carried out by the elite forces of the Al-Qassam [Brigades], will remain a source of pride for our people and our resistance, and it will be passed down from generation to generation. The enemy entity was dealt a deadly blow. Our people will regain all their rights, Allah willing, and this occupation will be expelled from our land, our Jerusalem, and our holy places, and it will happen soon, Allah willing..."[2]
To view excerpts from Al-Hayya's speech on MEMRI TV, click below:
Hamas Official Bassem Na'im: We Are At A Decisive Juncture In The Struggle Against Israel; This War Will Go Down In History
In statements to the London-based Qatari daily Al-Quds Al-Arabi, Hamas official Bassem Na'im likewise stressed that Hamas will continue the struggle against Israel: "We are at a decisive juncture in the struggle against the Zionist enemy. True, this juncture has exacted a very great and heavy price from our people, [a price it has been paying] for a century of struggle against the occupation. But these [past] 15 months have proved that our people insists on its right to freedom and independence, is willing to pay any price [for them] and believes in this war, the Al-Aqsa Flood war, and in the path to liberation."
He added: "We are at a strategic and decisive juncture in our conflict with the enemy, which will form a significant basis for the next stages. This war has proved that this enemy understands only the language of force, and that our people understands the nature of this conflict, understands what tools are needed in order to make great achievements… and is willing to pay a heavy price on the path [to accomplishing them], which is the path of freedom and honor."[3]
In statements to the Egyptian daily Al-Masri Al-Yawm, Na'im said: "The blow that began on October 7, and the steadfastness and resistance that followed it, prove that the peoples are capable of attaining the means and conditions that suit them in order to achieve their great goals of liberty and independence… This campaign will be recorded in glowing letters in the glorious annals of our Arab and Islamic nation, for it tarnished the image of the occupation in the international arena, turned it into a beleaguered occupation… and intensified its internal fragmentation." He added that "this war is a first and important great step on the way to the liberation of Jerusalem and the return [of the Palestinian refugees to their homes inside Israel]." He stressed the need to keep the Israel from using this opportunity to resume its pursuit of "so-called normalization" aimed at "integrating this cancerous entity in the region."[4]
Hamas gunmen celebrate ceasefire agreement (Image: t.me/gazaalannet/64417, January 19, 2025.
Hamas Official Osama Hamdan: The Palestinian Resistance Will Not Lay Down Its Arms
Hamas official Osama Hamdan told the Al-Jazeera Mubasher channel: "The Palestinian people and its resistance will not lay down their arms and will continue to make sure that the agreement is fulfilled to the letter." Stating that the resistance has signed the agreement from a position of strength rather than weakness, he added: "We saw what happened in Beit Hanun in the last few days and how the powerful action of the resistance affected the entity [i.e., Israel]."[5]
Hamdan stated further: "A complete withdrawal of the occupation army from the [Gaza Strip] and the [border] crossings – that is the essence of the agreement." He stressed that the mediators are obligated to ensure the implementation of the agreement and to prevent Israeli violations.[6]
Hamas Official: Hundreds Of Wounded Hamas Fighters Will Leave Gaza Through The Rafah Crossing; We Have Received Guarantees That The War Will Not Resume
Another Hamas official told Al-Arabi Al-Jadid that "in the first week of the [agreement's] first phase, hundreds of wounded [Hamas] fighters will leave the Gaza Strip for medical treatment abroad," and stressed that "things will go back to the way they were before October 7." Stressing that "the agreement, in its final specifics, is a clear and genuine victory for the steadfastness of the Palestinian people and the people of Gaza, who have made great sacrifices," he noted that "the agreement includes clear and irrevocable assurances that the war will not be renewed."[7]
"Exclusive sources" told the Al-Aqsa channel that Qatar has promised Hamas to provide Gaza with all the necessary aid during the first phase, including food, shelters and the rehabilitation of hospitals. They added that the Rafah crossing would resume normal operation in both directions already in the first phase, and stressed that the agreement guarantees freedom of movement to all those wounded in the war, including wounded "resistance" fighters (i.e., members of Hamas' military wing). The sources emphasized that Hamas would hold on to all the captive soldiers and officers, both alive and dead, "in order to ensure significant achievements in the second and third phases of the agreement."[8]
Hamas' Telegram channels posted many graphics highlighting what they perceive as the movement's achievements in the war with Israel and in the agreement signed with it. For example, the Hamas-affiliated news agency Shehab posted an infographic captioned "The Victory of the Resistance in Gaza – The Achievements of the Resistance," which listed the following: "Hamas has imposed its terms; freed thousands of prisoners; destroyed over 1,500 tanks; inflicted 30,000 casualties on the ranks of the occupation; caused the displacement of more than 150,000 Israelis; shattered the prestige the occupation army and defeated it; [inflicted] losses of $34 bn [on Israel; paralyzed Israel's economy; the agreement includes the rebuilding of Gaza, provision of aid and a full withdrawal of the occupation [forces from Gaza]; caused over 30,000 casualties among the Zionists; the train of Arab normalization with 'Israel' has been stopped."[9]
Infographic on the Shehab Telegram channel lists Hamas\ "achievements" in the war and the ceasefire agreement
This Agreement Has Been On The Table Since May; Had The Biden Administration Made Serious Efforts Like Trump's Envoy, It Would Have Been Signed Months Ago
Hamas officials emphasized that the movement stuck to its principles throughout the negotiations, and that the agreement signed today is similar to the one presented by the Biden administration in May 2024. Bassem Na'im told the Al-Quds Al-Arabi daily: "We can now stress that this agreement, signed after 15 months [of war, includes] the same terms that were set out by the resistance since the first day of negotiations, namely: a complete ceasefire, the unconditional return of the displaced [Gazans] to their homes in every part of the Gaza Strip; the withdrawal of the occupation forces from the Gaza Strip; the opening of the crossings for the delivery of aid; the rebuilding of the Gaza Strip, and finally a serious prisoner exchange deal." Stressing that "the resistance managed to stick to all these terms, attain them and cause the occupation to submit to them," he added: "Ultimately, our Palestinian people and its brave resistance thwarted all the enemy's plans after the heroic battle and round [of fighting] on October 7. [The enemy] has failed to expel the population [of Gaza], failed to liberate the hostages by force, and failed to break the resistance. Even today, on the eve of the signing of the agreement, our brave jihad fighters are delivering resounding blows to the enemy, and dozens of its soldiers are being killed and wounded."[10]
Hamas Official Osama Hamdan likewise referred to the claim that the agreement is the same as the one from May, saying: "Had the [present] U.S. administration made real efforts, like the efforts we saw from [Steve Witkoff], the envoy of President-elect Donald Trump, this agreement would have been signed back then [in May]."[11]
[1] The reference is to Article 5c of Appendix I of the agreement, which states that "50 wounded military individuals will be allowed to cross daily accompanied by (3) individuals. Each individual crossing will require Israeli and Egyptian approval" (Alaraby.co.uk, January 15, 2025).
[2] See MEMRI TV Clip No. 11752, "Senior Hamas Official Khalil Al-Hayya Upon Signing Ceasefire Agreement: October 7 Will Continue To Be A Source Of Pride; Our People Served As An 'Impenetrable Shield' For The Resistance; Israel's Supporters Will Be Punished, Even If It Takes Time," January 15, 2025.
[3] Al-Quds Al-Arabi (London), January 15, 2025.
[4] Almasryalyoum.com, January 17, 2025.
[5] The reference is to 11 Israeli soldiers who were killed in explosions in Beit Hanoun.
[6] Aljazeeramubasher.net, January 16, 2025.
[7] Alaraby.co.uk, January 15, 2025.
[8] Seraj.tv, January 15, 2025.
[9] T.me/ShehabTelegram/55619, January 16, 2025.
[10] Al-Quds Al-Arabi (London), January 15, 2025.
[11] Aljazeeramubasher.net, January 16, 2025.