The Nazareth District Court on Thursday approved a settlement reached between the State of Israel and the families of eleven Israeli Arabs killed by police during riots in northern Israel October 2000.

Under the terms of the out-of-court settlement, the state will pay an undisclosed sum of money agreed upon by the parties. The families of two others killed in the riots did not participate in the legal proceedings, and will therefore not be parties to the settlement.

In their lawsuit, the plaintiffs demanded a payout for each family of NIS 50,000 for burial expenses, and compensations of NIS 418,000 for loss of income. They asked the court to rule on the amount to be paid in compensation for their suffering and grief as a result of the loss of their loved ones.

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The Ministry of Justice said in a statement that "in light of the tragic outcome of the [October 2000] events, and out of a genuine wish to bring the lawsuit to a just and dignified closure, the State has agreed, beyond the letter of the law and despite its belief that it is not responsible for damages caused during the events, and without confirming the plaintiff's allegations, to pay the amount ..."

The request for validation of the settlement said that, "This lawsuit was submitted in the wake of the tragic events of October 2000, and both parties regret the loss of life of citizens and the injuries of citizens and security forces personnel that took place during the events."

The events occurred as Israeli Arabs across the north of Israel rioted for several days after the second Intifada began.

During the riots, which lasted for some ten days, 13 Arabs were killed.

The Arab community blamed the security forces for using excessive force in the events, claims that were investigated by the Or Commission.