HAMAS LEADER: We Have No Current Plans To 'Coexist' With Israel

Khaled Meshaal, the political leader of Hamas, said in a recent interview that he has no plans to "coexist" with Israel as it is structured right now.

"No. I do not want to live with a state of occupiers," Mashaal said when directly asked if he wants to "coexist" with Israel or recognize the country "as a Jewish state."

Mashaal made his remarks in an interview with PBS host Charlie Rose. The network provided reporters a partial transcript of the conversation, which is scheduled to air in full Monday night.

Mashaal, whose organization is currently engaged in a violent conflict with the Israeli army, nevertheless insisted he was ready to work with the Israelis as long as they weren't "occupiers" and "settlers" of Palestinian land.

"I'm ready to coexist with the Jews, with the Christians, and with the Arabs, and with non-Arabs, and with those who agree with my ideas and those who disagree with them. However, I do not coexist with the occupiers, with the settlers," he said.