OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (Palestine Foundation Information Center)، In a continued effort to force Palestinians from their homes and advance its Judaization plans in Occupied Jerusalem, the Israeli Supreme Court has upheld eviction orders for 13 residential units in the Batn al-Hawa neighborhood of Silwan, south of Aqsa Mosque, in favor of the settler group “Ateret Cohanim.”
According to the Jerusalem Governorate, the court’s decision impacts two key cases. One involves the Abdel Fattah al-Rajabi family, comprising two homes sheltering 16 individuals. The other concerns the Rajabi brothers, affecting 11 homes with over 100 Palestinian residents, signaling a looming mass displacement in one of the most targeted areas of Silwan.
Two additional cases remain pending, involving four apartments housing 20 people and seven apartments home to nearly 50 Palestinians. Final rulings in these cases could expand the wave of forced evictions.
The governorate condemned the ruling as a blatant violation of international humanitarian law, especially the Fourth Geneva Convention and the Rome Statute. It warned that these policies reflect an ongoing ethnic cleansing campaign aimed at replacing native Palestinian residents with Israeli settlers.
Since 2015, Israeli authorities have evicted around 16 families from Batn al-Hawa, part of a long-term plan to reshape the neighborhood’s demographic makeup. The statement noted that residents Khalil al-Basbous and Kayed al-Rajabi have received new eviction notices for January 5 and 6, 2026, and the Supreme Court has affirmed the legality of the removals.
“Ateret Cohanim” bases its claims on dubious ownership records allegedly dating back to 1881, covering five dunums and 200 square meters of Batn al-Hawa land. These claims are being used as legal tools to justify settler expansion.
The governorate emphasized that “Ateret Cohanim” is one of the most dangerous settler organizations operating in Occupied Jerusalem, leading aggressive efforts to seize Palestinian homes, especially in Silwan and the Old City, through fraudulent means and under the protection of a biased Israeli judiciary.
Located just 400 meters from Aqsa Mosque, Batn al-Hawa is home to around 10,000 Palestinians. Its targeting is part of a broader scheme to connect settler outposts in Silwan and tighten control around the Mosque, intensifying suffering for residents and undermining their right to remain in their city.
