Tayibe: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced his intention to prevent the formation of a Palestinian state in the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank as long as he remains in power.

According to Anadolu Agency, Netanyahu's assertion was a response to statements made by Mansour Abbas, the leader of the United Arab List. Abbas had declared that Palestine is already recognized as a state by most of the global community and urged both Israel and the United States to acknowledge this status.

Netanyahu stated, "As long as I am prime minister, there will be no Palestinian state controlled by Iran, neither in Gaza nor in Judea and Samaria," utilizing the biblical term for the occupied territory. Abbas, addressing the general conference of his party in the Arab city of Tayibe, emphasized his party's commitment to fostering peace between Israel and Palestine and reiterated the international recognition of the State of Palestine, calling upon Washington and Tel Aviv to do the same.

Netanyahu's remarks come in the lead-up to the Knesset elections scheduled for October 27. Current opinion polls indicate that his Likud party, along with its coalition partners, is unlikely to secure the 61 seats necessary to form a government. The Likud party, which presently holds 32 seats, has seen a significant decline in recent polls, with a survey conducted on Friday predicting it would win only 20 seats. A Channel 13 poll released on August 19 forecasted that Likud and its far-right and ultra-Orthodox allies would achieve a combined total of 51 seats, falling short of a parliamentary majority by 10 seats.