Israel court gives Sheikh Jarrah families until Thursday to reach deal with settlers

The Israeli Supreme Court on Sunday gave four Palestinian families from Jerusalem’s Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood until Thursday to reach a deal with Israeli Jewish settlers regarding the ownership of their homes, Al Jazeera reported.

The deal proposed by the court requires the Palestinian families to pay the Israeli settlers to rent their homes until the current owners pass away and then assign the properties to the settlers, not to their heirs.

According to Al Jazeera, the families refused this proposal, considering it a recognition of the claimed demands of the settlers.

Meanwhile, the families suggested paying a fund affiliating with the court until a final decision about the ownership of their homes is reached.

The families of Sheikh Jarrah have called for the Palestinian Authority, Jordanian authorities, UNRWA and the international community to protect them and stop the Israeli occupation from forcing them out of their homes.

Arabi21.com reported Aref Hammad, spokesperson for the Sheikh Jarrah families, explaining that there are currently 28 housing units facing the threat of eviction, noting that 87 families are living in these units.

Last year, the Israeli District Court in Jerusalem decided to evict 12 Palestinian families from their homes in Sheikh Jarrah to surrender the houses to Israeli settlers.

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