The Israeli Supreme Court has frozen the eviction of the Rajabi family from 13 apartments in Silwan for 60 days... a "final deadline" pending a political decision
The Israeli Supreme Court has ordered a 60-day freeze on the eviction of the Rajabi family from their homes in Batn al-Hawa, Silwan. This temporary stay provides the family with a chance to explore a new administrative path that might delay or halt the eviction process.
The decision was made following a petition submitted by the Rajabi family, who sought the eviction of Israeli occupation authorities and settler organizations from their homes in Batn al-Hawa. This neighborhood, part of Silwan, is among the most heavily targeted by settlement initiatives.
Temporary freeze on eviction
Zuhair Rajabi, head of the Batn al-Hawa neighborhood committee and one of the petitioners and those facing eviction, stated that the court issued a 60-day precautionary order to prevent the family members from being evicted from their homes.
He explained that the decision includes three residential buildings belonging to the family:
• The Zuhair Rajabi and Brothers Building, containing seven apartments.
• The Kayed Rajabi and Brothers Building, containing four apartments.
• The Abdel Fattah Rajabi Building, containing two apartments.
Al-Rajabi emphasized that the court’s ruling is not a definitive resolution but rather a “temporary grace period". The court maintained the risk of eviction but provided families with extra time for legal and political recourse.
On April 23, 2026, the Enforcement and Execution Department issued eviction notices to the Rajabi families, requiring them to vacate their homes within 21 days. In response, the families sought further legal and administrative options in a renewed effort to defend their properties and land from the settlement plan.
A new approach through "Expropriation for Public Interest"
The court instructed the family to formally request the Israel Land Authority's 'Advisory Committee' to exercise "expropriation for public interest" powers, aiming to prevent their displacement from their homes.
This method entails asking the Israeli Minister of Finance to utilize his authority to expropriate the land for "public benefit," thereby stopping its transfer to settlement associations or its use in displacing Palestinian residents.
The court ruled that the administrative route had not been fully pursued before the petition was submitted, so it deemed necessary to exhaust this process first before turning to the judiciary. The decision also explicitly criticized the Ministry of Finance for how it handled the family’s earlier requests, pointing out that the ministry’s initial response took around eight months. This delay was considered unjustified, especially given the sensitive nature of the issue and the possibility of families losing their homes.
Settlement plan targets Batn al-Hawa – Silwan
Families in the Batn al-Hawa neighborhood face eviction as part of a settlement plan led by the Ateret Cohanim organization. The organization seeks to seize approximately 5200 square meters in the Al-Hara Al-Wusta area of the neighborhood, claiming ownership of the land by Jews of Yemeni origin since 1881. The settlement organization first served the families with a legal notice about ten years ago, initiating a long series of court hearings. The Magistrate's Court issued the first eviction order in 2020, followed by a series of eviction orders in favor of the settlement organizations, several of which have already been carried out.
Since the start of this year, 17 families in the Batn al-Hawa neighborhood have been displaced from their homes. Additionally, around 19 families have been evicted since 2015 as part of a policy to expand settlement outposts in the center of Silwan, south of the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
