Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Saturday congratulated "the Palestinian people for the victory achieved by the Palestinian resistance in the Gaza Strip", the official SANA news agency reported.

Assad made the remarks while meeting with a Hamas delegation led by its exiled politburo leader in Syria Khaled Meshaal, stressing Israel's failure in achieving the goals of its aggression on Gaza.

"Israel's failure to achieve its objectives despite using the deadliest of weaponry is an evidence of the Palestinian people's commitment to its territorial rights and its deep faith in victory against occupation and aggression," Assad was quoted as saying.

Members of the delegation expressed "high appreciation of Syrian people and leadership for gearing efforts on all levels in support of the Palestinian people's steadfastness in Gaza during and after the aggression," SANA said.

The delegation would make a regional tour "to express gratitude for standing by the Palestinian people during the aggression and the tour has started with Syria in appreciation of her big role in the achievement of victory in Gaza," it added.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert declared Sunday a unilateral ceasefire in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, after a 22-day war which claimed more than 1,300 lives.

Hamas and other Gazan militant groups later echoed that they would stage a one-week ceasefire with Israel.

(Xinhua News Agency January 25, 2009)