CALL TO ACTION TO MEMBER STATES: IMMINENT FORCIBLE DISPLACEMENT OF PALESTINIAN FAMILIES IN SILWAN

The Protection Cluster in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) with the Legal Task Force calls on Member States to urgently intervene to prevent the imminent forcible displacement of Palestinian families in Batn al-Hawa of Silwan in East Jerusalem.   

On 10 February 2026, the Israeli Enforcement and Implementation Authority issued eviction notices to 11 Palestinian families (around 80 individuals, including children) in the Batn al-Hawa neighbourhood of Silwan, adjacent to the Old City. The families have been ordered to vacate their homes and remove all belongings by 23 March 2026, after which enforcement measures will be carried out. As in previous cases in the area, the properties are expected to be transferred to the settler organization Ateret Cohanim. 

While 80 individuals currently face imminent displacement, the implications extend far beyond these households.  Batn al-Hawa has been the target of series of eviction suits pursued by settler organizations based on Israeli laws, unlawfully applied in occupied East Jerusalem, which discriminate against Palestinians. These cases have already resulted in the forced displacement of multiple Palestinian families and the gradual transfer of homes to settler organizations, and form a part of a broader pattern of forcible transfer of Palestinians due to Israeli settler and state violence across the occupied West Bank. If implemented, the current evictions will reinforce a legal and administrative precedent that places hundreds of residents in Silwan and potentially thousands of Palestinian families across East Jerusalem at risk of displacement, contributing to the accelerating demographic transformation of the area, which is tantamount to the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians. 

With the 23 March deadline approaching, families face the prospect of losing their homes within the week. All available legal remedies have been exhausted. Communities in Silwan report high levels of psychosocial distress, including among children, linked to the threat of dispossession and forced displacement. The current security environment further heightens the humanitarian impact, as displaced families may be left without safe shelter in an already volatile context.

Despite the increasingly challenging operating environment and shrinking humanitarian space, protection partners continue to engage with affected families in Batn al-Hawa, facilitating referrals to relevant services and coordinating support across partners. Despite this, humanitarian assistance alone cannot address the structural drivers of displacement.

Key Asks to Member States

1. Engage in urgent diplomatic advocacy with Israeli authorities to halt the imminent evictions of Palestinian families in Batn al-Hawa, Silwan.
2. Undertake a high-level diplomatic visit in Silwan to demonstrate international attention and support for affected communities.
3. Call for an immediate cease to settlement-related evictions and property takeovers that contribute to the forcible transfer of Palestinian communities from East Jerusalem and across the occupied West Bank.
4. Advocate for the protection of Palestinian residents’ housing, land, and property rights, in line with international law.
5. Support conditions that enable the permanent, safe return of displaced Palestinian communities and prevent further displacement.

Immediate action by Member States is critical to prevent the displacement of these families and to address the broader pattern of evictions threatening Palestinian communities in Silwan and across East Jerusalem and the rest of the occupied West Bank.