The head of the cultural committee at the Iranian Shura Council, Gholam Ali-Haddad Adel, led the delegation, which included head of the economic development committee, Mosbahi Mokaddam and Iranian Ambassador to Lebanon Ghazanfar Rokn Abadi.

Adel voiced Iran’s support for the Palestinian and Lebanese causes, as he raised the Palestinian flag at “Iran’s garden” in Kfar Kila.

“The purpose of our visit is to send the message to the Palestinian and Lebanese youth and the resistance that Iran stands by them,” Adel said.

The delegation toured Adeysseh, Fatima Gate, Kfar Kila and Maroun al-Ras, where 11 Palestinian protesters were shot dead by Israeli troops on May 15 in a Nakba anniversary march.

Abadi said that the march of thousands of Palestinian demonstrators to the border on that day was a pivotal moment in the history of the Palestinian struggle.

Abadi told reporters that Palestinian refugees should pursue their own initiatives to return to Palestine until U.N. Resolution 194, which affirms their right of return, is implemented.

“As long as the Security Council fails to implement Resolution 194, it is natural that the Palestinian people will implement the resolution themselves, similar to the Lebanese people’s implementation of Resolution 425 through the resistance of occupation and liberation of territories,” he said.

The delegation’s visit took place amid heightened security. A group of protesters attempting to approach the separation fence with Israel were removed earlier in the day.

Palestinian refugees had planned to stage a march similar to the one held on May 15 to commemorate the 1967 war, which led to the Israeli occupation of East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza, and Syria’s Golan Heights.

However, the march was canceled after the Lebanese Army closed the area near the border, fearing that Israel could exploit any incident to attack Lebanon.