JERUSALEM (JTA) — Palestinian police have expanded security control to towns bordering Jerusalem.

The armed patrols, including 90 officers, began working in Abu Dis, A-Ram and Biddu, under a deal with Israel, Reuters reported.

The towns have been under Israeli security control since the peace process began with the Oslo accords in 1993.

The Palestinians have threatened to halt security cooperation with Israel since it withheld   tax revenues collected on behalf of the Palestinian Authority beginning in January.

The punitive measure came after P.A. President Mahmoud Abbas signed requests in late December to join the International Criminal Court and other international conventions as a result of the failure of the United Nations Security Council to pass a Palestinian statehood proposal.