Israel: Settlers to be evicted from Hebron house

The occupants have said they won't budge, and supporters have been flocking to a tense Hebron, where settlers have clashed with security forces and Palestinians in recent days.

Thousands of Israelis visited the city Saturday in honor of biblical matriarch Sarah, and some were expected to stay on as reinforcements in the event of an eviction attempt. Israeli troops lined the streets to protect the visitors as they walked in downtown Hebron.

Palestinian residents said several Israelis stoned a Palestinian home after worship. There were no reports of injuries, but Israel Radio said two settlers were arrested, one for scuffling with a policeman and the other for entering a prohibited area.

Last week, Israel's Supreme Court ordered the settlers in the four-story house to leave voluntarily within three days. They ignored the deadline, and it's now up to Israeli security forces to evict the settlers.

"The Supreme Court order concerning the evacuation of the house will be carried out," Deputy Defense Minister Matan Vilnai said Saturday, according to a statement by his office.

However, Israeli governments have traditionally been reluctant to take on militant settlers, and often prefer to negotiate with them. For example, the government is holding talks over the fate of dozens of unauthorized settler camps in the West Bank, even though it promised the U.S. to remove them.

Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak and other top officials planned to meet Sunday to discuss the next steps on the Hebron house, said a security official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss details concerning the consultations.

The disputed house sits on the edge of Hebron, next to the large Jewish settlement of Kiryat Arba. Settlers moved into the house in March 2007, claiming they bought it from a Palestinian. The Palestinian owner denied the sale. The high court said the settlers must move out until the ownership dispute is settled.

The house is in a key location, providing a link between Kiryat Arba and settler enclaves in central Hebron, the largest Palestinian city in the West Bank. The center is under full Israeli control, while the rest of the city is administered by the Palestinian Authority.