Rulings threaten dozens of Palestinian families in Baten al‑Hawa, in Silwan town in occupied Jerusalem in the occupied West Bank, as the Ateret Cohanim colonialist organization pushes for expanded colonial control.
Israel’s high court issued rulings on Monday in two of four appeals filed by Palestinian residents of the Baten al‑Hawa neighborhood in Silwan, south of Al‑Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem, effectively upholding earlier decisions by the so‑called central court to evict families in favor of the colonial organization Ateret Cohanim, the Jerusalem Governorate said.
The cases decided Monday concern two major family files. The first involves the family of Abdul‑Fattah Rajabi, whose file includes two apartments housing 16 residents. The second concerns the file of Yaqoub and Nidal Rajabi and their brothers, which includes 11 apartments inhabited by more than 100 residents.
Two additional appeals remain pending before the high court; Yousef al‑Basbous, whose file includes four apartments housing around 20 residents, and Zohair Rajabi, whose file consists of seven apartments with approximately 50 residents.
The Palestinian Jerusalem Governorate said the rulings reflect a broader policy in which Israeli occupation authorities, working through Zionist and colonial associations and backed by what it described as racist and discriminatory courts, continue to forcibly displace Palestinians from occupied East Jerusalem.
It stressed that these actions constitute a grave violation of international humanitarian law, including the Fourth Geneva Convention and the Rome Statute, and form part of a policy of ethnic cleansing aimed at emptying the holy city of its indigenous population and replacing them with colonists.
According to the governorate, Israeli authorities have evicted around 16 Palestinian families from Baten al‑Hawa since 2015. It added that residents al‑Basbous and Rajabi recently received new eviction notices dated January 5 and 6, 2026, and that the high court has repeatedly rejected appeals and upheld eviction orders issued by the so‑called central court.
The governorate explained that Ateret Cohanim bases its claims on alleged ownership of land in Baten al‑Hawa dating back to 1881, covering an area of approximately five dunums and 200 square meters.
Palestinian families and legal experts have long rejected these claims as part of a systematic effort to seize property through fabricated or selectively interpreted historical documents.
Ateret Cohanim is widely regarded by Palestinian institutions and rights organizations as one of the most dangerous colonial groups operating in occupied Jerusalem.
For decades, it has led efforts to fully occupy Palestinian neighborhoods—particularly Silwan and the Old City—through the takeover of Palestinian homes and properties using fraudulent means, false pretexts, and the protection of a biased Israeli judicial apparatus.
The organization’s activities are seen as central to a long‑term plan to alter the demographic character of the city and reinforce colonial control around Al‑Aqsa Mosque.
Baten al‑Hawa, located about 400 meters south of Al‑Aqsa Mosque, is home to roughly 10,000 Palestinian residents and is considered one of the most heavily targeted neighborhoods in Silwan.
The Jerusalem Governorate warned that the ongoing evictions aim to consolidate colonial control around Al‑Aqsa Mosque and link surrounding colonial outposts, deepening the suffering of residents and threatening their fundamental right to housing.
