Israel has announced it will bar all Palestinians in Jerusalem from voting in upcoming Palestinian legislative elections next month. According to the Israeli newspaper Ha’aretz, the ban is being imposed because of the participation of the Palestinian group Hamas.

The Palestinian Authority has rebuffed Israeli and US demands it ban the party from January’s vote. Palestinian Information Minister Nabil Shaath said: “If the Israelis insist on not allowing us to conduct the elections in Jerusalem, then there will be no elections at all.”