Palestinians facing forced displacement from a flashpoint neighbourhood in occupied East Jerusalem have rejected a deal that would have seen them accept the temporary ownership of their homes by an Israeli settler organisation.

The four families in the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood near Jerusalem’s Old City said their decision on Tuesday springs from “our belief in the justice of our cause and our right to our homes and our homeland”.
They said that rather than submit to an “unjust agreement”, they would rely on the “Palestinian street” to raise international awareness of their plight.

The long-running case has been a regular source of tension across the occupied territories of East Jerusalem and the West Bank. Protests earlier this year over the case helped trigger an 11-day war between Israel and Palestinian armed groups in Gaza.
In October, Israel’s Supreme Court proposed a deal that would have seen four Palestinian families remain in their homes for 15 years as “protected tenants” while paying rent to settlers who have claimed the land.

The court gave the families until November 2 to decide whether to accept.

“We unanimously rejected the settlement offered by the occupation (Israeli) court,” Muna el-Kurd, one of the Palestinians facing eviction, said at a news conference.

“This refusal comes from our faith in the justice of our case and our rights to our homes and homeland,” said el-Kurd, wearing a jacket embellished with the words “No Fear”. She was flanked by other residents.