JERUSALEM

The Israeli police Wednesday rounded up nine Palestinians from their homes during raids in East Jerusalem.

The police, in a brief statement, said the detainees are being suspected of "carrying out activities for the Palestinian Authority security forces."

Israel does not allow Palestinian security services to operate in East Jerusalem, but Palestinian residents of the city work for the agencies in other West Bank cities.

Palestinians say the Israeli authorities have tightened up their measures against Palestinians in Jerusalem since US President Donald Trump recognized the city as the capital of Israel in late 2017.

Jerusalem remains at the heart of the decades-long Mideast conflict, with Palestinians insisting that East Jerusalem -- occupied by Israel since 1967 -- should serve as the capital of a Palestinian state.

International law continues to view East Jerusalem, along with the entire West Bank, as "occupied territories" and considers all Jewish settlement construction there as illegal.

*Writing by Mahmoud Barakat