New Delhi: Israel's parliament has passed an amendment that would make it harder for it to cede control over parts of Jerusalem in any peace deal with the Palestinians.

The legislation, sponsored by the far-right Jewish Home coalition party, raises to 80 from 61 the number of votes required in the 120-seat Knesset to approve any proposal to hand over part of the city to "a foreign party".

Last month, US President Donald Trump had angered the Palestinians, West Asia leaders and world powers by recognising Jerusalem as Israel's capital. As home to major Muslim, Jewish and Christian holy sites, Jerusalem's status is one of the most sensitive issues in the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Trump's December 6 decision sparked regional protests and prompted the Palestinians to rule out Washington as a peace broker in any future talks. Nabil Abu Rdainah, a spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, described Trump's policy shift on Jerusalem and the passage of the amendment as "a declaration of war against the Palestinian people".

"The vote clearly shows that the Israeli side has officially declared an end to the socalled political process," Abu Rdainah said, referring to U S-sponsored talks on Palestinian statehood that collapsed in 2014.