A new escalation in the Batn al-Hawa neighborhood involves the issuance of final eviction notices for 11 apartments owned by the Rajabi families
Joint teams from the Enforcement and Collection Authority and Israeli police raided the Rajabi family's homes in the Batn al-Hawa neighborhood of Silwan, delivering final eviction notices to the residents due to "Jewish ownership" of the land where the homes are located.
The Wadi Hilweh Information Center in Jerusalem explained that the notices targeted:
• The building belonging to Nidal Rajabi, which consists of six apartments.
• The building belonging to Yaqoub Rajabi, which consists of four apartments.
• An apartment belonging to Fathi Rajabi.
The notices specify March 23, 2026, as the final eviction date, risking that 60 people will lose their homes and be displaced.
A legal battle ending in eviction
For years, residents of Batn al-Hawa have faced repeated eviction orders from Israeli courts at all levels, from the Magistrates' and District Courts to the Supreme Court, which upholds these orders before they are enforced by the Enforcement and Execution Department.
On February 3rd, the occupation authorities issued final eviction notices to Salah and Na'im Maragha, targeting parts of their homes on land they assert belongs to Jews, as well as a family-owned parking area. They were given 21 days to comply.
Last month, the Enforcement and Execution Department issued eviction notices to 32 apartments in the same neighborhood and case, providing residents with a 21-day period to respond.
A legal battle spanning over a decade
For over a decade, residents of the Batn al-Hawa neighborhood have been involved in legal disputes across all Israeli courts after they received sudden notices asserting ownership of the land by Jews of Yemeni origin dating back to 1881.
Over the years, families have tried to defend their homes by submitting official documents and ownership papers, but Israeli courts have consistently ruled in favor of the settlement associations.
A settlement plan led by Ateret Cohanim
These notices are part of a settlement plan led by the Ateret Cohanim organization, which intends to take control of an area roughly 5,200 square meters in the Al-Hara Al-Wusta neighborhood in the Batn al-Hawa area, citing historical ownership of the land.
The association issued its first legal notice to the families about ten years ago, starting a lengthy sequence of hearings. In 2020, the Magistrate's Court issued the initial eviction order, which was followed by multiple eviction orders. Several of these were executed by occupation authorities to favor settlers.
Ongoing seizure of Jerusalemites’ properties
The Wadi Hilweh Information Center reported that in recent years, the occupation authorities have confiscated properties belonging to the families of Shehada, Sarhan, Ghaith, Abu Nab, Odeh, Shweiki, Rajabi, and Basbous, all under the same case, citing Jewish land ownership claims.
The center also noted that since 2016, the Ateret Cohanim association has taken control of over 30 residential properties in the neighborhood, including numerous apartments and houses. Recently, there has been an increase in evictions and the rejection of appeals related to these cases.
