Ayatollah Khamenei received Hamas Shura Council chairman Muhammad Ismail Darwish and other members of the group's political bureau in Tehran on Saturday.
“God Almighty granted you and the people of Gaza honor and victory, and made Gaza an example of the noble verse that says, 'How many a small company has overcome a large company by permission of Allah',” he told the visitors.
“You overcame the Zionist regime and, in fact, the US and by the grace of God, you did not let them achieve any of their goals,” the Leader added.
Ayatollah Khamenei touched on the suffering of the Gazan people for a year and half of the Israeli war, saying the ultimate result is “the victory of right over wrong”.
“The people of Gaza became an example for all those who have their hearts in resistance," he said.
Ayatollah Khamenei also praised Hamas negotiators, saying their deal forcing Israel to halt its brutal war on Gaza and release thousands of Palestinian prisoners is a “great achievement”.
The first 42-day phase of the ceasefire agreement calls for 33 Israeli captives and nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners to be released.
So far, the agreement has held, but US President Donald Trump’s proposal to clear Gaza of its inhabitants and take over the territory is creating hiccups amid widespread denunciation around the world.
The Shura Council is the main consultative body of Hamas that elects the resistance movement's politburo. The visit to Tehran by Darwish and his team is part of their regional tour which has already taken them to Egypt and Turkey.