Eight families of Israeli Arabs killed in the October 2000 riots said Wednesday that they have rejected the settlement agreed on with the state because of a specific clause in the agreement that declares that "both sides feel remorse for the civilian deaths and injuries that security forces sustained."

Thirteen Arabs were killed by police in the riots in northern Israel, which broke out in the early days of the intifada.

The families maintain that they were unaware of the clause, which equates the deaths of their loved ones with injuries sustained by security forces during the riots.

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The families will ask attorney Adi Michlin, who represented them in the settlement, to work with them on an appeal to change the original wording of the agreement.

In a statement released Monday, the eight families said they rejected any settlement or agreement with the state, insisting that "the Israeli establishment is primarily responsible for the murder of our sons, and therefore we will act to bring to justice those who killed our sons, be it within local or international jurisdiction."

However, only on Wednesday did they explain the specific reasons for rejecting the settlement.

The settlement, which was approved by the Nazareth District Court last Thursday, orders a one-time payout by the state to 11 families of victims on the condition that the state not be required to take any responsibility for the riots and/or the loss of life caused in their wake.

The sum averages of the compensation would amount to approximately NIS 800,000 per family.