Settlers Remain in Jerusalem Muslim Quarter Building

The eight Palestinian families who lost their homes on 29 July when two-dozen Israeli settlers seized part of a two story building in the Muslim Quarter of the Old City remain displaced, unable to access to their apartments or personal belongings.

During the settlers' raid, Nasser Quirresh, who had been living in the building with around 50 members of his extended family for over 60 years, and most of his family were attending a wedding. Though the few family members who were in the apartment at the time refused to leave, the entire family was eventually evicted from the premises.

Residents of the Quirresh house in the Old City have tried to challenge the take-over in Israeli courts, but have minimal success to date. The building is said to be owned by Suleiman Handal, who has been living in the United States for the last 20 years, but the settlers claim that they bought the apartment from Mr. Handal. The battle for the building began in 1996 and has been the subject of a 15 year-long legal dispute.

The settlers belong to the Ateret Cohanim Organization, based in the Old City of Jerusalem. The institution functions as a settlement organization and a Jewish religious school, working to increase the number of Jewish settlers in the Old City.

Mr. Quirresh believes that the settlers bought the apartment from Mr. Handal's grandchildren, and if this claim is true, the settlers would have the right to collect his rent, but would not legally be able to evict him and his family.

Though the court originally issued an order to evict the settlers, the order was suspended, allowing the settlers to remain in the building until Sunday 1 August.

During a hearing on Sunday, 1 August courts then extended the current situation, and gave both parties until Wednesday, 4 August to submit their arguments. They set a new court date for Sunday, 8 August, allowing the settlers to remain in the building for the interim period, leaving the eight families homeless.

“My husband is 67 years old, and he needs his medicine, which is inside the house," Munnawar Quirresh said. "I cannot even enter the house to get the medicine. All my personal belongings are inside and I do not know what the settlers are doing to them. I do not know if they are sleeping in my bed or what they are doing inside.”