“Hamas has remained steadfast and brought the Israeli military into a state of attrition,” he said during the interview in his home in Doha, Qatar.

On ceasefire negotiations, Meshaal said that "the US is practically recognizing Hamas.”

"The Israeli-American vision wasn’t talking about the day after the war, but the day after Hamas," Meshaal noted about the initial US position. 

However, he added, now the US statements say "We’re waiting for Hamas’ response."  

Meshaal, one of the most senior figures in Hamas’ political office and a key architect of the group’s strategy, acknowledged that the Israeli genocidal war had caused enormous destruction, but said it was a “price” Palestinians must pay for freedom.   

“Before October 7, Gaza was dying a slow death,” he stated. “We were in a big prison and wanted to get rid of this situation.”  

Despite Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's claimed war target of “total victory” over Hamas, Israel’s occupation army has publicly said that eliminating Hamas is not possible.

During the two-hour interview, Meshaal noted that Hamas officials are not in a rush to conclude a ceasefire deal with Israel at any price and will not give up on their main demands for an end to the war and an Israeli withdrawal.

Furthermore, the senior Hamas official said he is confident that the Palestinian group would play a dominant role in Gaza's future.   

He also dismissed alternative American and Israeli proposals for administering the territory without Hamas.  

“All their illusions about filling the vacuum are behind us,” he stressed. 

“Assuming Hamas won’t be in Gaza or influencing the situation is a mistaken assumption,” he affirmed, insisting that Palestinians alone would determine arrangements for the territory.  

In June, Israel's army spokesperson Daniel Hagari cast Israel’s war aim of eradicating Hamas as unattainable.

“This business of destroying Hamas, making Hamas disappear, it’s simply throwing sand in the eyes of the public,” Hagari told Channel 13 news in an interview.

“Hamas is an idea, Hamas is a party. It’s rooted in the hearts of the people — anyone who thinks we can eliminate Hamas is wrong,” he continued.

In August, Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant said Netanyahu’s talk of “total victory” over Hamas is “nonsense.”