The Hamas terrorist group issued a statement today, on the second day of the ceasefire with Israel, declaring its intent to persist in its mission to obliterate Israel. According to AFP, the group said, “Gaza, with its great people and its resilience, will rise again to rebuild what the occupation has destroyed and continue on the path of steadfastness until the occupation is defeated.”

The statement continued, emphasizing their determination, “Over the course of 471 days, the systematic crimes of the occupation have failed to dissuade our people and their valiant resistance from clinging to the land and confronting the aggression.”

The ceasefire agreement, which began on Sunday morning, is set to last for six weeks. On Sunday afternoon, Hamas released the first three hostages from a group of 33, as part of the initial phase of the ceasefire deal.

Donald Trump, the President-elect, made remarks at a rally in Washington, DC, on Sunday ahead of his inauguration. He addressed the release of Romi Gonen, Doron Steinbrecher, and Emily Damari, who were freed from Hamas captivity as part of the ceasefire and hostage release agreement between Israel and Hamas. “This week, we achieved an epic ceasefire agreement as a first step toward lasting peace in the Middle East — and this agreement could only have happened as a result of our historic victory in November,” Trump said.

{Matzav.com Israel}