Palestinian families fighting eviction from occupied East Jerusalem's Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood have rejected the Israeli Supreme Court's offer for them to stay under a 'protected resident' status.

That status would have helped the families avoid eviction and guaranteed rent for the next three generations while recognizing Israeli ownership of the homes, according to Al Jazeera.

The families would have also had to pay rent to a Jewish settlers' association that acquired the rights to the land.

Lower Israeli courts have approved the forced evictions of the families involved in the case, ruling their homes were built on land owned by Jewish people before the establishment of Israel in 1948.

The families then issued an appeal against the evictions and the court suggested 'protected resident' status.

"So far, we did not hear an offer that was fair enough and preserves the rights of residents. Therefore, we did not reach any compromise," said Sami Ershied, the lawyer for the Palestinian families facing eviction, to Al Jazeera.

He also called the hearing "a good step forward" and said the judges have not rejected their appeal and are open to a second hearing.

The Israeli Supreme Court hasn’t scheduled the next hearing yet, which could take weeks or months.

The four families leading the legal charge against eviction, have been battling the courts for decades. 
Their battle has fueled weeks of protests and clashes between protesters and Israeli police. 
 

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