The Supreme Leader made the remarks in a meeting with Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh and his entourage in Tehran.

Ayatollah Khamenei said that Palestinians will retake the occupied territory through resistance reaffirming Iranian support for the democratically elected government of Palestine.

Recalling the hard time the Palestinian Muslims passed in the early decades of occupation of their territories, lack of any support from Arab states and absence of serious idea to integrate Palestinians into other nations, Ayatollah Khamenei said that despite all the plights Palestinians suffered in the past 60 years, national aspiration of Palestinians and their identity are clear more than ever.

"Meanwhile a democratically elected government has taken office, which is quite active and making progress constantly," the Supreme Leader said.

Referring to God Almighty's blessings to Palestinians in the aftermath of the hardships, the Supreme Leader said that the Palestinian nation is advancing perpetually.

"I'm rest assured that someday the entire territory will be administered by Palestinians themselves."

The Supreme Leader underscored resistance to occupation as the main cause of Palestinian nation's progress and their major achievements.

The Supreme Leader pointed to the resistance of Palestinian nation in the course of history as 'exemplary' and underlined that Palestinian nation and government will undoubtedly gain victory, given their morale and way of thought.

At the meeting which was held in presence of First Vice President Parviz Davoudi, Haniyeh expressed his great satisfaction with being received by Ayatollah Khamenei and referred to Iran as the 'real advocate of Palestinian people and the ideal of freedom of holy Qods'.

Haniyeh referred to the role of the late Imam Khomeini in revival of Palestinian aspirations in the Muslim World, in particular by designating the International Day of Holy Qods, and said, "You are following the late Imam's way, given your constant support for the Palestinian people. I hope that we will soon meet in al-Aqsa Mosque."

Haniyeh said that victory of the Islamic Revolution had effective impacts on the vigilance of the Muslim World, particularly in Palestine, and the first Intifada and said, "The generation currently standing up to the Zionists, which shaped up the first and second Intifadas, included young individuals with lofty aspirations. This generation will liberate Palestine."

He pointed to the past attempts aiming to make distinction between the Palestine problem and Islam and underlined that the Palestinian cause is 'Islamic' and that Palestine is an Islamic territory.

"Therefore, no individual and government in Palestine has the right to overlook even the slightest portion of its soil," he added.

Underlining that the present Palestinian government will never recognize the occupying regime, he stated, "resistance is the only way for Palestine's liberation and that it is the serious and non-tactical option of all Palestinians."

Palestine-Khamenei