Israeli occupation authorities informed today the Palestinian family of Sub Laban that they are required to cover the expenses of their forcible eviction from their home. The family were last month forcibly evicted from their 70-year home in Aqabat al-Khaldia in the Old City of Jerusalem in favor of illegal Jewish settlers.
Noura Sub Laban said the unfair Israeli compensation claim includes 17,187 shekels ($4,610) in compensation to the Israeli police for 160 hours of working in the house to secure the eviction, in addition to 17,000 shekels ($4,600) to a private contracting company that evacuated the house, and 13,000 shekels for legal expenses.
The Israeli order also includes movement restrictions on the Sub Laban family members until they settle the unfair compensation, including a travel ban and confiscation of their property, including vehicles and real estate, in the event that the fine is not paid as soon as possible.
The family were evicted by the Israeli occupation forces and settlers on July 11 from their home based on a biased Israeli court order. The order said the family, who have lived in their home for 70 years, should be removed so settlers could take over.
Palestinian civil society and rights groups released a statement in June blasting Israel’s efforts to displace the family, which they said is “forcible transfer, which constitutes both a war crime and a crime against humanity under the Rome Statute”.
The statement said the ongoing expulsions of Palestinians are a “result of the international community’s deliberate failure and unwillingness to take effective and meaningful measures to end Israel’s illegal occupation, and settler-colonial apartheid regime”.
The groups also called states to take action, “including through arms embargoes, economic sanctions and countermeasures against Israel; and targeted individual sanctions against Israeli settler organizations”.
The Ghaith-Sub Laban family has been renting the home since 1953, while the eastern half of Jerusalem, including the Old City, was under Jordanian administration.
They were granted protected lease rights, but have faced a costly, 45-year legal battle in Israeli courts against government-backed settler organizations to displace them.
