In an interview with Al-Arabiya, Mashaal said that Israel is avoiding paying what is required of it regarding the exchange deal, while Hamas is determined to bring about the release of Palestinian prisoners and knows how to do so in similar way to the way it led to the Shalit deal.
In these remarks, Mashaal hinted at the possibility of kidnapping Israeli soldiers for bargaining purposes.
Mashaal added that "Israel is a threat to the Islamic nation, and those who believe that it can be part of the solution to problems in the region are wrong."
Hamas, he stated, is still identified with the ideological platform of the Muslim Brotherhood, but is an independent movement that works against the "occupation" and its leadership makes the decisions regarding the policy and its implementation in practice.
Mashaal acknowledged that Iran is assisting Hamas by supplying it with weapons and technology, but noted that Hamas does not necessarily agree with Tehran on all issues and this does not affect the independent decision-making of the Hamas leadership.
