January 19,09 | Source : Al ManarHamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh said on Sunday Israel's three-week offensive in the Gaza Strip was a failure and had not cowed the Palestinians.
"The enemy has failed to achieve its goals," Haniyeh said in a speech broadcast on Hamas television.
He called the Israeli aggression a "popular victory" for Palestinians, and added that Hamas' decision to declare a truce on Sunday was "wise and responsible".
Earlier Sunday Hamas announced an immediate ceasefire by its resistance fighters and allied groups in the Gaza Strip and gave Israel a week to pull out its occupation troops.
Hamas also demanded that Israel open all of the Gaza Strip's crossings to allow in food and other goods to meet the "basic needs for our people".
"We the Palestinian resistance factions declare a cease-fire from our side in Gaza and we confirm our stance that the enemy's troops must withdraw from Gaza within a week," said Damascus-based Hamas official Moussa Abu Marzouk.
Israel, which mounted an offensive against Palestinians in the Strip three weeks, agreed to silence its guns and ground its aircraft early Sunday in a unilateral ceasefire.
The cease-fire came after 22 days of fighting that killed some 1,300 Palestinians, including 420 children, and wounded around 5500, according to Palestinian and United Nations officials.
Israel said earlier on Sunday that it will not consider a timetable for withdrawing all of its forces from the Gaza Strip until Hamas and other resistance fighters cease their fire.
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