Speech by Abu Obeida, spokesperson for the Izz El-Din Al-Qassam Martyr Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, following the ceasefire agreement in Gaza on January 19, 2025.

Source: Al-Jazeera

Translation: resistancenews.org

In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

“And We gave (clear) warning to the Children of Israel in the Book, that twice would they do mischief on the earth and be elated with mighty arrogance (and twice would they be punished)!

When the first of the warnings came to pass, We sent against you Our servants given to terrible warfare: They entered the very inmost parts of your homes; and it was a warning (completely) fulfilled.

Then We granted you the return as against them: We gave you increase in resources and sons, and made you the more numerous in man-power.

If ye did well, ye did well for yourselves; if ye did evil, (ye did it) against yourselves. So when the second of the warnings came to pass, (We permitted your enemies) to disfigure your faces, and to enter your Temple as they had entered it before, and to visit with destruction all that fell into their power.” (Quran, Surah 17, Verses 4-7)

Praise be to God, Lord of the worlds, who honors the fighters, sustains the believers, and humbles the arrogant. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet, the martyred fighter, his family, his companions, and all those who wage his jihad until the Day of Judgment.

O children of our great and blessed people of Gaza, the jewel in the crown of free men. O our people in blessed Al-Quds (Jerusalem) and the valiant occupied West Bank. O our prisoners in the jails of the Zionist occupation. O children of our Arab and Islamic Nation, and O free peoples of the world, may God’s peace, mercy, and blessings be upon you.

471 days have passed since the beginning of the historic battle of the “Al-Aqsa Flood,” which ignited the spark of the Liberation of Palestine and drove the final nail into the coffin of the Zionist occupation—an occupation destined to vanish inevitably, by the will of God. During this battle, our resistance in Gaza and its proud and noble people presented their case to the world, offering a unique and dazzling example of the ability of those who hold the land and the right to carry out large-scale actions with profound impact, to demonstrate unshakable resolve, to write history, to defeat the occupiers, and to shatter their illusions.

Our people have offered, for their freedom, their holy sites, and their land, a grand procession of martyrs in the most majestic march between earth and heaven, for more than 15 months. This (spiritual) transaction (whereby believers offer their lives in the path of God) has been fruitful, O our virtuous martyrs, and O our patient and resilient people. These immense sacrifices and the bloodshed will never be in vain, nor will they be wasted, but will bear fruit. May your efforts be rewarded, O fighters and steadfast ones, for you have sacrificed what is most precious: your families, your loved ones, your possessions, your homes, your efforts, your exhaustion, and your suffering, under impossible and oppressive conditions. Truly, you were—and we absolve no one before God (who alone knows the hearts)—among those of whom the Almighty said: “They did not falter in the face of what befell them in the path of God, nor did they weaken or yield. And God loves the steadfast.” (Quran, Surah 3, Verse 146)

You followed the example of God’s Prophet Moses, peace be upon him, when people said, “We are lost,” and you replied, “No, my Lord is with me, and He will guide me.” (Quran, Surah 26, Verse 62). You have walked in the footsteps of your Prophet (Muhammad), peace be upon him, and his companion in the cave, when he said to his friend, “Do not grieve, for God is with us.” God sent down His serenity upon him and supported him with invisible armies (Quran, Surah 9, Verse 40). God has made you glad tidings for His noble Prophet throughout the world, (as the hadith states): “A group from my community will continue to fight for the truth, prevailing over their enemies. Those who oppose them will not harm them, except through the trials they endure.”

We salute you, our people of Gaza, O crown upon our heads, O pride of the nation and symbol of its dignity, O patient and enduring ones. You who rose to defend the place of your Prophet’s ascension and created a historic epic without precedent in the world, an epic that will be etched as a milestone and a radiant emblem in the history of our people and our cause, and an inspiring model for all the free peoples of the world. Your steadfastness and resolve have astonished the world, friends and foes alike, and you have brought back to humanity the tales of the prophets, the companions, and the virtuous. You have opened, in every home of our Nation and of the world, a living book of greatness, sacrifice, and legendary heroism, rendering the reading of millions of books unnecessary, before which all decorations, glories, and honors pale.

Peace be upon you, O our people, for your patience. Peace be upon you for what you have sacrificed. Peace be upon you for what you have offered. O our honorable people, God has willed His light to shine upon us, and He has honored every home with pure and virtuous martyrs, so that they may be intercessors for their families and blessed cornerstones for the liberation of the land and holy sites. Every stone in the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque has the right to bear the name of a martyr or martyress from Gaza. These sacrifices and bloodshed, O our people and O our fighters, are more precious, more sacred, and greater in the eyes of God, the Almighty, than what men can conceive or imagine. “Those who endure patiently will be given their reward without measure.” (Qur’an, Surah 39, Verse 10).

O our people, O our Nation, O all the free peoples of the world, the battle of the “Al-Aqsa Flood” began on the borders of Gaza, but it has transformed the face of the region and far beyond, introducing new dynamics into the conflict with this occupying entity. The Zionist entity has been shaken by this battle, beginning with the collapse of its deterrence theory, the death and injury of thousands of its soldiers, the destruction and decommissioning of nearly 2,000 military vehicles, the undermining of the foundations of its so-called national security, the severe blow to its economy, the imposition of forced displacement across vast areas of the occupied territories, the opening of multiple battlefronts against it, its maritime blockade, and its need to seek refuge with international powers to ensure its defense. All this, coupled with the exposure of its monstrous and criminal nature, the tarnishing of its image, and the unmasking of its supporters—whether the world’s tyrants or its front organizations—culminating in its ostracization and the prosecution of its leaders and soldiers as wanted war criminals. These actions, and many more, have led the vast majority of the world’s peoples to be convinced that this occupation is the gravest sin of our time, and that its continuation will affect the entire region and the world. The silence and complicity of the forces of injustice within the so-called international community in the face of the enemy’s crimes in Gaza will have far-reaching repercussions, extending well beyond Gaza, and will become a scourge for the occupation, for all its supporters, collaborators, passive accomplices, and tyrants, as well as for the Zionist enemy itself.

O our people, O our Nation, and to all the free peoples of the world, today, as the implementation of the exchange agreement and ceasefire in Gaza begins, we, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Martyrs Brigades, wish to emphasize the following:

First: We have fought alongside our brothers from all factions of the Resistance, united in a single rank, with unwavering firmness and faith, by the grace of Almighty God, for over 15 months, in every corner of the Gaza Strip, from north to south. The Mujahideen continued to deliver fatal blows to the enemy until the very last day of fighting, in every part of the Gaza Strip. The entire world witnessed what seemed like legends in the battles of northern Gaza, in Beit Hanoun, Jabalia camp, Jabalia al-Balad, Beit Lahia, and Rafah, where the Mujahideen fought with immense bravery and unyielding determination until the final moments, inflicting heavy losses on the occupation until the last days and hours of the confrontation, undeterred by the length of the battle, the blockade, the destruction, or the criminal collective punishments. They presented unparalleled examples of heroism.

Since the beginning of this battle, we have fought under conditions that seem impossible from a military perspective, against a colossal imbalance of power, and facing an army of criminal and murderous gangs who respect neither ethics nor the laws of war and openly mock human rights, principles, and laws. We have engaged in an unequal confrontation, both in terms of military capabilities and combat ethics. While we faced our enemy with faith and a legitimate right to our land, armed with only a few blessed weapons, our criminal adversary relied on the world’s most powerful, arrogant, and unjust forces, which provided them with air bridges of bombs and opened their ammunition depots to them.

Since October 7, as we launched our strikes against the Zionist army, the enemy has responded by killing our families and children, destroying homes, neighborhoods, and civilian infrastructure indiscriminately. They have employed, with shameless and vile cruelty, new methods of brutality, savagery, and vengeance against innocent people, all under the gaze of the world, day after day, hour after hour. While we have devised every method and effort to preserve the lives of enemy prisoners in accordance with our ethics and noble objectives, the enemy has relentlessly sought to kill them around the clock, succeeding in killing many, as is now well known.

In light of these imbalanced dynamics, the greatness of this battle becomes evident—how it will stand as an inspiring historical epic for free generations and peoples, establishing a new military school and innovative model in the art of heroic combat and sacred jihad for freedom and the expulsion of occupiers. The accounts of bravery and dignity by our mujahideen continue to unfold daily by the Grace and Help of Almighty God, too numerous to recount in full.

The greatness of this battle is also reflected in the fact that the leaders of the Al-Aqsa Flood joined the ranks of martyrs—from the summit of the political leadership, including the martyr Ismail Haniyeh, to Sheikh Saleh al-Arouri, and the movement’s leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, whose martyrdom has become a global symbol and unique model in this conflict. The convoy of martyrs has also included leaders of Hamas and the Al-Qassam Brigades at all levels, as well as leaders from our brothers in other Resistance factions. Their blood has mingled with that of the Mujahideen and of our people as a whole, painting a picture of heroism and self-sacrifice—a people embracing a Resistance, and a Resistance sacrificing itself through blood and lives.

Second: The causes and triggers that preceded the Al-Aqsa include the threats to Al-Aqsa Mosque, the invasion of the occupied West Bank, the mistreatment of prisoners, the siege of Gaza, and the war plans targeting our people for displacement, all perpetrated by the fascist Zionist government.

Moreover, the ongoing aggression in the West Bank, the threat of its escalation through occupation, the attacks on the territories of Palestine’s neighboring countries, the violation of their sovereignty, and the publication of maps and plans that deny the existence of great peoples, nations, and states with histories deeply rooted in this land—all of this makes it clear to the world that this criminal enemy is the greatest scourge of the region. All efforts, strategies, and plans must, therefore, focus on containing it, confronting its arrogance, and putting an end to its aggression. Any attempts to integrate this entity into the region, particularly after the Al-Aqsa Flood, will run into the flood of conscience, the deeply rooted Resistance, and the free peoples who will ensure their failure. The enemy has condemned itself to annihilation in the minds and hearts of hundreds of millions in our Nation and among the free peoples of the world, who wish, strive, and will continue to work for its disappearance—not its integration.

In light of this reality, the responsibility of our people and our Resistance in the occupied West Bank, whom we honor and salute with respect, grows. We salute the heroes of the West Bank who stand with pride and dignity despite all attempts to target and eliminate them. A special tribute goes to Jenin, Gaza’s heroic sister, for its courage and resolve. We honor its resistance fighters and its steadfast, honorable, and courageous people. Our greetings also extend to our people, the resistance fighters, and the mujahideen of the West Bank, in all the towns, villages, and camps of this beloved region. We call on them to prepare to confront the enemy’s dangerous schemes, to intensify the struggle against the criminal occupier, to unite for this cause, and to reject all attempts at sedition or normalizing collaboration with the occupation. This is the pledge we make to the youth of the West Bank and its heroic resistance fighters from all Palestinian factions.

Third: Reaching an agreement to end Zionist aggression and the war of annihilation against our people has been our goal for many months, even since the onset of this aggression. This agreement could have been achieved over a year ago if it had suited the ambitions of Netanyahu and his fascist government, who have persisted in pursuing genocide aimed at displacing our people and causing maximum destruction. Throughout this war, we have been the most eager to halt it swiftly to preserve the blood of our people and put an end to this genocide. Alongside our brothers in the Palestinian resistance factions, we declare our commitment to the ceasefire agreement, our readiness to implement its terms, and our respect for its conditions, including the cessation of hostilities, adherence to the exchange timeline, and securing enemy prisoners until their exchange for our heroic and free prisoners at all agreed stages. We emphasize that all of this hinges on the enemy’s adherence to the agreement. We hold everyone accountable for any violations by the occupier that could jeopardize the process—whether in terms of commitment or the ability to complete the exchange—or directly impact the safety and lives of enemy prisoners throughout the agreement’s stages, details, and timelines. We are resolute in ensuring the success of every clause and stage of the agreement to safeguard our people’s blood and achieve their aspirations and objectives. We urge all mediators to compel the enemy to uphold this agreement.

Fourth: Our people, who have endured injustice and know its bitterness, and our Resistance, which has been nurtured in dignity and knows its cost, warmly salute and express profound gratitude to all who have stood in solidarity against injustice and tyranny, and who have joined the Al-Aqsa Flood battle. We extend a special tribute to our brothers in truth, Ansar Allah, and to our fraternal and blessed Yemeni people, the land of wisdom and faith, whose greatness, pride, defiance, dignity, nobility, and honor are so akin to Gaza—and Gaza to them. Their vigor has astonished the world. They have imposed new realities in unexpected ways, creating a unique historical precedent that demonstrates that resistance to the Nation’s enemies is possible, even from hundreds or thousands of kilometers away. Blessed is Yemen, the sustenance of the Levant, as described by the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him.

We also salute our brothers and comrades-in-arms in the Islamic Resistance of Lebanon (Hezbollah), and behind them, the free people of Lebanon, who have supported and allied with the Palestinian Resistance and revolution for decades. They have borne a heavy cost in this battle—among the Resistance leadership, fighters, and the fraternal Lebanese people—embodying the unity of blood, destiny, and purpose with their brothers in Gaza and Palestine.

We further salute our brothers in the Islamic Republic of Iran for their unwavering and continued support, for their direct involvement in this historic battle through operations True Promise (I and II), and for their unceasing aid by all available means. We also honor the free brothers of the valiant Iraqi Resistance and the courageous Jordanian mujahideen fedayeen, who have crossed borders and directed their arms toward their true compass.

We extend our greetings to all the peoples of our Arab and Islamic Nation, who have stood by our struggle and cause, demonstrating their unwavering support through both material and moral means. Within the Al-Qassam Brigades, we have received—and continue to receive—millions of messages of solidarity, encouragement, and endorsement, alongside requests to join our fight and contribute in every possible way against the enemy. These messages come from all the peoples of our Nation, without exception—from the Arab Gulf in the east to the Arab Maghreb in the west, and from all parts of the Islamic world, stretching from Tangier to Jakarta.

We also salute the free peoples of the world, who have rallied by the millions in thousands of public squares across the globe for over 15 months, and continue to do so. They stand in solidarity with the model of heroism, Resistance, and steadfastness, rejecting the brutal genocidal war waged by the Zionists and affirming their support for the just Palestinian cause.

In conclusion, O our people, O our people, we are of you, and you are of us. Your wound is our wound, your pain is our pain, and your hopes are our hopes. Together, with the help of God the Most High, we will rebuild what the occupation has destroyed, and together we will face the consequences of aggression, just as we faced genocide. The injustice and genocide committed by the criminals will open the gates of hell for them, by the will of God Almighty and His servants, and the repercussions will undoubtedly be disastrous for them. By contrast, the high price we pay and the immense suffering we endure with our people are the cost of a great victory and a blessed, inevitable conquest. Then, we will know—and you will know—that every drop of blood shed on this land is more precious than all the gold in the world, for it has been the price of liberating the land, the people, and the sacred places.

O our people of Gaza, now is the time for solidarity, mutual aid, and compassion. Just as we have presented a model of heroism and greatness on the battlefield, we shall present a model of resilience, reconstruction, asserting our rights, thwarting the occupation’s plans and ambitions, and ultimately defeating it through our will and unity, by the Grace of God the Most High.

“On that day, the believers will rejoice in the victory of God, Who gives victory to whom He wills, and He is the Almighty, the Most Merciful.” (Qur’an, Surah 30, Verses 4-5)

This is a jihad whose outcome can only be victory or martyrdom.

May God’s peace, mercy, and blessings be upon you.

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