We speak to the BBC’s Jon Donnison, in the occupied West Bank village of Qusra, where Israeli settlers laid siege to Palestinian families’ homes for days. He tells us that it is a new tactic to try to illegally take over the land.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) were sent to break up the settlers’ blockade of Qusra.

A spokesman for the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the BBC that the settlers’ actions have been “deplorable”, and that those responsible would be prosecuted.

The US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee – a long-time supporter of Israeli settlements in the West Bank – said the US has been “very involved” in efforts to end the siege. He described the settlers’ actions as “disgusting” and a “horrific act of terror”.

Settlements are illegal under international law, but Mr Netanyahu’s government – a coalition that includes far-right politicians – has promoted their rapid expansion.

In his first term as president, Donald Trump said that settlements “complicate” the peace process between Israelis and Palestinians. Mr Trump’s relationship with Mr Netanyahu has been tested recently over the war with Iran, and Israel’s continued campaign against Hezbollah in Lebanon.

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00:00 Introduction
00:18 The siege in of Palestinian families
01:10 Will Palestinians lose their homes in Qusra?
02:23 How Israeli authorities treat settler violence
03:55 Could settler violence affect the Israeli election?
05:34 The US response

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Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has criticised Vladimir Putin’s first-ever visit to the disputed Kuril islands on Thursday as “absolutely unacceptable”.

Russian state media reported that Putin visited Iturup, known in Japan as Etorofu, one of four islands in the Kuril chain that are claimed by Russia and Japan.

The countries have been locked in a dispute over the Kurils for decades – but why? And what do we know about the tiny islands?

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Four Renaissance paintings of “extraordinary value” have been stolen from a museum in Sicily, Italy’s culture minister has said.

Alessandro Giuli confirmed that three panels of the Polyptych of San Gregorio and a double-sided panel of the Madonna with Child and Christ in Pietà, all attributed to Antonello da Messina, were taken from the Regional Interdisciplinary Museum of Messina on Saturday night.

Police are now probing how the thieves were able to enter the museum without triggering its alarms and who may have been responsible.

The incident is the latest in a string of museum heists across Europe that have led to a growing number of priceless works disappearing from public view.

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It’s been confirmed that British-made drones are being used to strike targets deep inside Russia.

The drones, built by two British companies, have been used in mainland Russia in widespread and strikes on military and industrial targets, including refineries and warehouses of online retailer Wildberries.

A well-placed military source confirmed to the BBC the UK drones had been used.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has previously said drones using UK components and configurations have been used to attack Russian territory, including a fuel depot in the Kamensky District of the Rostov Region.

In April, the UK Ministry of Defence announced it would supply Ukraine tens of thousands of drones, including long-range strike devices, in its biggest ever package.

The MoD described its support for Ukraine is “unwavering” and said it would stand by its ally “until it wins”. A spokesperson said: “We are committed to providing the equipment Ukraine needs to defend itself against Putin’s illegal invasion.

In the latest wave of Ukrainian attacks on Russia, Moscow’s mayor said that hundreds of drones had been launched towards the Russian capital overnight.
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A warehouse belonging to Russian retailer Wildberries was hit. The company, a Russian mass retailer of goods online, equivalent to Amazon, has been repeatedly targeted since July.

Kyiv said at the time it was targeting logistics hubs used by Russians to buy military equipment and disrupting supplies to the Russian army.

Clive Myrie presents BBC News at Ten reporting by Dan Johnson and Joe Inwood.

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Subscribe to our channel here: https://bbc.in/bbcnews

For the latest news download the BBC News app or visit BBC.com/news

#BBCNews

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