The Israel Defense Forces and police are preparing to prevent settlers from marching Tuesday to the ruins of the settlement of Homesh in the northern West Bank.

Defense Minister Amir Peretz and IDF Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi on Sunday suspended discussions on granting the settlers a demonstration permit.

IDF sources admitted it was unlikely that access could be completely blocked, saying that no additional troops had been allocated to the task beyond the two battalions assigned to the area.

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Despite Sunday's announcement that Homesh, a settlement evacuated during the 2005 disengagement, is legally off limits, march organizers said there has been no change of plans.

On Friday, the organizers said they would go ahead with their plans despite the fact that Peretz and Ashkenazi had reversed their decision to allow the march.

Citing 'appraisal of the current situation' as the reason for the turnaround, military officials notified the organizers that the IDF would not allow it to take place as planned.