JERUSALEM (Ma'an) -- A Sunday court ruling has opened the door for further evictions of Palestinian families in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah, settlers told the Israeli press Monday.

Jerusalem settler leader Aryeh King told the Israeli daily Haaretz that before the weekend, three Palestinian families would be evicted from their homes and replaced with Jewish settlers.

The announcement follows the Israeli High Court's rejection of an eviction appeal filed by displaced Palestinian families in Sheikh Jarrah.

The ruling, reported by Haaretz on Tuesday, said that settler groups which had pushed several families out of their homes had succeeded in proving they owned the property.

The ruling may give future license to settler groups to move into dozens more Palestinian homes in the occupied neighborhood, and it opens the door for proceedings that Palestinian officials say are based on false documents.

Following the ruling, however, Haaretz reported, "settlers will be able to move ahead with plans to build in the area."

With an end to the settlement construction moratorium in the West Bank putting peace talks in jeopardy, the announcement of new projects displacing families in Jerusalem could heighten tension in the city.