The High Court of Justice ruled on Wednesday that those who purchased homes from the collapsing construction company Heftsiba situated in the disputed Matityahu East neighborhood of the West Bank settlement of Modi'in Ilit, would not be allowed to enter these houses until the court's final ruling on the settlement of the area.

Clients who bought homes from Heftsiba all across the country have been squatting in the unfinished buildings in order to establish ownership and prevent the loss of their investment due to the company's imminent collapse. The squatters in Modi'in Ilit are subject to an additional aspect of the housing situation, as their homes were built on disputed West Bank land which it has not yet been decided whether Jews would be allowed to settle.

The High Court is still deliberating petitions filed some 18 months ago by activist group Peace Now and the Bil'in council, which seek to bar Jews from settling the area. The court issued an injunction following the submission of these petitions, prohibiting the area from being populated.