Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak declared on Sunday that Israel will dismantle 22 illegal outposts in the West Bank, and warned that settlers will be evicted forcefully if they resist.

"The 22... have to be dealt with now in a responsible, appropriate manner. First of all, exhausting all efforts at dialogue and if that proves impossible, then unilaterally, using force if necessary," Barak said during the weekly cabinet meeting.

Meanwhile, Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman expressed his opposition to the unilateral dismantling of outposts in the West Bank, saying such a move should be part of the greater peace process which inevitably would require equivalent action from the Palestinians.

"The evacuation of outposts needs to be part of a sensitive, comprehensive program and not piecemeal," Lieberman, chairman of the ring-wing Yisrael Beiteinu party, was quoted by the website of Ha'aretz daily as saying before the cabinet meeting.

Israeli Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz, currently serves as a member of the Knesset (parliament) for the hardline party of Likud, also spoke against possible evacuations, telling ministers during the cabinet meeting that Israel "cannot let the agenda be seen as a hunting expedition against settlements in the West Bank."

However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was under pressure from the US government, which has been calling on Israel to stop its settlement and outpost expansions.

During the meeting with Netanyahu in the White House on Monday, US President Barack Obama stressed that "under the road map under Annapolis, there's a clear understanding that we have to make progress on settlements, that settlements have to be stopped in order for us to move forward."

Israel Radio reported earlier Sunday that Netanyahu promised Barak his full support on any decision made to evacuate illegal outposts in the West Bank.