JERUSALEM: An Israeli court has ruled that Jewish settlers can return to a home in the West Bank city of Hebron from which they were evicted four years ago.

The settlers claimed they had legally bought a four-story structure in Hebron, a city that has become a flashpoint in the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.

The Palestinian owner claimed the purchase documents were forged. The settlers had to move out in 2008.

A district court in Jerusalem allowed them to return within 30 days. The decision Thursday requires a final approval by the Israeli defense minister.

Some 800 Jewish settlers live among 180,000 Palestinians in Hebron.