Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would not allow the establishment of an independent Palestinian state in Gaza or the occupied West Bank for as long as he remains in office. He made the remarks in response to comments by Mansour Abbas, leader of Israel’s Arab Muslim United Arab List party, according to the report published on August 23, 2026.

Abbas told his party’s general conference in the Arab city of Tayibe on Saturday that his party was working to establish peace between Israel and Palestine. He said Palestine already exists as a state and is recognized by most countries, and urged the United States and Israel to recognize it as a state.

Netanyahu said no Palestinian state “under Iranian control” would be established while he is prime minister, neither in Gaza nor in what he called Judea and Samaria, a biblical term he used for the West Bank. His statement came ahead of parliamentary elections scheduled for October 27, as opinion polls showed his coalition trailing. Likud currently holds 32 seats, while a poll published Friday projected the party would win 20 seats.