Over 100 Jewish settlers have stormed a contested home in the West Bank city of Hebron, citing concerns the Israeli government is not able to assert its sovereignty over the West Bank.

The settlers on Tuesday night broke into and occupied the building, located close to a holy site in the West Bank, claiming that they purchased it from the Palestinian homeowner around six years ago.

The homeowner denies the settlers' claims. The occupation of the Hebron building threatens to create yet another stand-off between the settlers and the Israeli government and comes at a time of increased Israeli-Palestinian tensions over Israeli security measures at Jerusalem's holiest site, known as the Temple Mount to Jews and the Noble Sanctuary to Muslims.

Hebron itself has been divided since 1998 between the Palestinian Authority and Israel. Around 1,000 Jewish settlers live in the Israeli-controlled area surrounded by some 200,000 Palestinians.