The leader of the Islamic Revolution in Iran, Ali Khamenei, confirmed during his meeting with the head of Hamas's political bureau, Ismail Haniya, that "the resistance of the people of Gaza has impressed the world, and who would have believed that universities in the United States would one day stand in support of Palestine." On his part, Haniya remarked that "the people of Gaza, although a small group, have defeated the large group, which includes the United States, NATO, Britain, and other countries," emphasizing that "the divine promise to eliminate the Zionist entity will be realized, and we will see the day when Palestine rises from the river to the sea."