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Palestinian Authority President  has said he will have to deal with , the former Israeli prime minister who won re-election this month, even though he believes Netanyahu has  in making peace.

"I knew for a long time, since the 1990s... He is a man who doesn't believe in but I have no other choice but to deal with him," Abbas told Palestine Television.

The Palestinian leader, whose authority has limited control in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, said there must be a peaceful resolution to the decades-long Israeli occupation.

Netanyahu is in the process of forming the most in Israeli history after his coalition won a majority in the Knesset against a backdrop of soaring violence against Palestinians in the West Bank. 

The interview, which was also broadcast by Egyptian television, was recorded on Friday.

"I have a problem with Israel, Israel occupies my land and my country. Who is the prime minister? Netanyahu. I am forced to deal with him," said Abbas.

Netanyahu, who in his previous term forged normalisation with United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco, said on Sunday he sought to reach peace deals with more Arab countries once he has formed a government.  

The deals, which were brokered by the Trump administration, were slammed by the Palestinians as a betrayal to their aspirations for statehood.

peace talks have been stalled since 2014. 

(Agencies contributed to this report)