Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat says he is sure of victory against the Israeli army.
He made the claim in a message read by his representative to an international conference on solidarity with the Palestinians.
It was read by Hani al-Hassan, who declined to sat how it was transmitted to him.
Mr Hassan read the message at the conference of European leftist and communist parties in Cyprus.
Arafat said in his message: "Be sure that we are not a defeated people. We have paid a high price but at the end the Israeli army will be defeated because it represents an unjust cause, and we will win because we represent a just cause."
"We are fighting for freedom, liberty, justice and sovereignty and we are sure we will free Palestine," Arafat's message said. "The day is not far when peace will prevail in the land of peace and when we will all march to Jerusalem hand in hand, and when a new era will begin."
Mr Hassan also saluted "all our Israeli friends with whom we both believe in peace and with whom we will make peace together in the future."
He has called on US Secretary of State Colin Powell, due in the region on tomorrow, to be fair and honest."
Mr Powell "needs to distinguish between the terror or the oppressor and the resistance of the oppressed," he said.