The siege of Palestinians, and Israeli settler violence in occupied West Bank | Global News Podcast

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.

New episodes of the Global News Podcast are published twice a day. You can listen here: https://link.mgln.ai/GNP-YT

And you can find more of our YouTube episodes here: https://bbc.in/GlobalNewsPodcast

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

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

#bbcnews

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