One year after Hamas' Al-Aqsa Flood Operation against Israel and the Israeli war on Gaza, Meshaal framed the conflict as part of a broader narrative spanning 76 years. It dates back to what Palestinians call the "Nakba" or "catastrophe," when many were displaced during the 1948 war that accompanied the creation of Israel.

"Palestinian history is made of cycles," Meshaal, a senior Hamas figure under overall leader Yahya Sinwar, told Reuters in an interview.

"We go through phases where we lose martyrs (victims) and we lose part of our military capabilities, but then the Palestinian spirit rises again, like the phoenix, thanks to God."

Meshaal, 68, survived an Israeli assassination attempt in 1997 after he was poisoned and then became an overall Hamas leader from 1996 to 2017.

He added that the group was still able to mount ambushes against Israeli troops.

"We lost part of our ammunition and weapons, but Hamas is still recruiting young men and continues to manufacture a significant portion of its ammunition and weapons," he revealed, without providing details.

Meshaal remains influential in Hamas because he has played a crucial role in its leadership for almost three decades and is widely seen now as its diplomatic face.

He is one of six Hamas leaders indicted by the US Justice Department on terrorism charges over the 7 October events.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office declined to comment on Meshaal's remarks.