Egyptian officials: Palestinians plan to call off elections

Egyptian diplomat and intelligence official say postponement decision will be announced on Thursday.

Egyptian officials say the Palestinian Authority plans to call off its first elections in 15 years, citing Israel’s refusal to allow voting in occupied East Jerusalem. The decision effectively grants Israel a veto over the holding of elections, though President Mahmoud Abbas could also benefit from cancelling the vote, in which his fractured Fatah party is expected to lose power and influence to Hamas, the group governing the Gaza Strip. An Egyptian diplomat and an intelligence official – who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss closed-door talks in Cairo – said they were briefed on the decision, which will be announced on Thursday at a meeting of Palestinian factions.