Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave a press conference Wednesday night in regards to the ceasefire netanyahu ceasefire statementbetween Israel and Hamas, expressing great gratitude to American President Barack Obama for his "unwavering support" of Israel's right to self-defense during Operation Pillar of Defense.

Netanyahu stated that in his conversation with Obama on Wednesday evening, he agreed to the President's suggestion that Israel "give the ceasefire a chance," to allow the situation to "calm down," and to allow the people in Southern Israel the chance to return to their "normal lives."

However, the Prime Minister continued, "Israel cannot sit with her hands folded against the strengthening of her enemies and terrorist organizations."

"I agreed with President Obama that we act together before arming terrorist organizations," Netanyahu said.

The Prime Minister also said he expressed his desire to the President to work jointly with the United States, to stop the weapons-flow to the terror organizations, many of which, he said, "arrive from Iran."

The Prime Minister followed this statement with, "The Middle East is a very complicated place."

Read the reported conditions of the ceasefire HERE.

In Netanyahu's recap of the IDF operation, he said, "Eight days ago, Israel launched Operation Pillar of Defense, after attacks from Gaza that were carried out at a growing rate the last few months."

"The terror organizations assumed that we would abstain from an aggressive action, but they were wrong. We hit senior leaders, we destroyed thousands of rockets that were aimed at the South, and most of the rockets that were aimed at the center of Israel. We hit Hamas's control mechanisms."

Defense Minister Ehud Barak said in the same press conference that while terrorists are to stop their rocket fire, a "small tail," can be expected, as in previous ceasefires.

The "small-tail" he refers to is the continuation of rockets being launched against Israel, and indeed, alarms continue to sound throughout Southern Israel as late as 9:18 Israel time, which is 18 minutes after the ceasefire was supposed to take effect.

UPDATE: Terrorists Fire 20 Rockets Since Ceasefire Begins