The United States rebuked Israel on Wednesday for approving more settlement building on Palestinian land, and warned its ally it is imperiling its own future as a democratic Jewish state.

Syria's military on Wednesday announced a reduction of air strikes and artillery fire on rebels in Aleppo, saying the army had advanced nearly two weeks into its large-scale offensive for the city. 

French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault will travel to Moscow on Thursday and Washington on Friday to try to garner support for a U.N. resolution on a ceasefire in the Syrian city of Aleppo, his office said.

The rebel-held east of Syria's Aleppo has officially been declared a "besieged area," following a months-long government offensive and a lack of access for aid workers, the U.N. said Wednesday. 

Israel's navy on Wednesday intercepted an activist boat seeking to break the country's decade-long blockade of the Gaza Strip, saying it was boarded without incident and was being directed to shore.

Israeli police plan to question U.S. billionaire and World Jewish Congress president Ronald Lauder as part of an inquiry into gifts for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, reports said Wednesday.

Russia on Wednesday said two of its warships were heading back to join its forces in the Mediterranean amid an upsurge in tensions with Washington over Syria. 

President Vladimir Putin on Monday called for a boost of Russia's defenses to keep the nation "strong" as he opened the new parliament session amid a fresh upsurge in tensions with the United States.

Putin addressed the State Duma after a crushing victory for ruling party United Russia at elections last month that could help smooth the way for him to claim a fourth term as president in a vote set for 2018.

An air strike was responsible for the attack on an aid convoy in Syria that killed 18 people last month, a U.N. expert said Wednesday.

"With our analysis we determined it was an air strike," said Lars Bromley, a researcher at the United Nations body UNOSAT, which collects and analyses satellite images. 

A delegation from the world's only permanent war crimes court is visiting Israel and the Palestinian territories this week to "promote better understanding" about its work, the chief prosecutor said Wednesday.