JERUSALEM, August 2 (JMCC) - An Israeli court Sunday ordered Israeli settlers who took over a Palestinian home not to make any changes to the property, and to allow renters to enter the second floor of the building.

Israeli settlers, accompanied by police, took over the home early Thursday from the Qarsh family in the Saadiyah quarter of Jerusalem's Old City.

The magistrate court will make a final decision about access to the property in one week's time.

Lawyers for the family said the events of Sunday's hearing indicated that the decision to evict the family from the property was made at the highest levels of the Israeli government.

Attorney Ahmed Ruweidi said that the coming days would be used to try to recruit international pressure against the family's eviction, given their belief that the issue is a political matter.

Muhaned Jabari, another Palestinian attorney, said that he thought the family's case for proving the settler's actions illegal was strong, given the fact that the eviction took place without a court order, and under police guard.

Palestinian evictions from properties that settlers claim have been bought or were owned by them is an increasing phenomenon in occupied eastern Jerusalem.