About a dozen Palestinian households in Qusra have been told to leave their properties during an Israeli military operation to remove Israeli settlers who have besieged two families in the area. Mayor Abdel Azim Wadi told the BBC that his village had been declared a closed military zone - and Israeli forces were using some of the vacated Palestinian houses as barracks. The Israeli military said the aim was "to protect the residents", while a spokesman told the BBC the settlers' action was "deplorable". Settlements, which are illegal under international law, have expanded rapidly under Israel's current administration, emboldening settlers. The case, writes correspondent Yolande Knell, is the latest to draw attention to "the relative impunity of settlers and how Israeli forces are struggling to deal with rising settler violence."

The guessing-game to see who will replace White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has already begun. So far, the White House has not announced a successor, and sources within and close to the administration said no decision has yet been made. Leavitt has worked closely with President Donald Trump for years, and finding someone to take over could prove difficult.