In change, U.S. describes East Jerusalem Palestinians as 'Arab residents'

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - The U.S. State Department changed its standard description of East Jerusalem Palestinians from "Palestinian residents" of the city to "Arab residents" or "non-Israeli citizens" in an annual global human rights report released on Wednesday.

The overwhelming majority of East Jerusalem's more than 340,000 Palestinians identify as such. The Palestinians have long sought the city's east, which Israel captured in a 1967 war and later annexed in a move not recognised internationally, as capital of a future state.