Palestinians sit-in at the at Petra Hotel

Jerusalem24 – Dozens of Jerusalemites organized a sit-in last night, Sunday, at the Petra Hotel in the Bab Al-Khalil area in occupied Jerusalem, amid an intense deployment of the Israeli forces.

Israeli forces tried to evacuate those inside the hotel, while the people inside the hotel refused. The hotel is owned by the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem and rented by the Qirresh family, and the sit-in was organized for fear of the settlers returning to storm it.

Settlers, accompanied by the Israeli police, stormed the hotel yesterday and assaulted those inside the building while under the protection of members of the Israeli police, who participated in the assault on those present as well.

Palestinian lawyer Medhat Diba, who was released after being held for several hours, said that the settlers claim to have obtained an eviction order from an Israeli court, but it turned out that the decision does not mention the Qirresh family, who has the right to protection in the Petra Hotel. According to Diba, this means that the decision is not It is binding and does not include the family.

For her part, Basma Qirresh, said that the settlers’ storming came without any justification, and without any legal basis. She said, “we are the owners of the right to protect the hotel, which will remain an Arab property, and we will not allow settlers to seize it.”