"Turkey severs ties with Israel as Gaza crisis escalates, while Blinken continues Middle East diplomacy"

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced the cutting off of all contact with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu due to Israel's actions in the Gaza Strip, stating that "Netanyahu is no longer someone we can talk to." Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is seeking support from Arab nations for a postwar future for Gaza and has reaffirmed US support for "humanitarian pauses" in the conflict. The United Nations has condemned the Israeli bombing of an ambulance in Gaza, which killed 15 people, and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk has deplored the sharp increase in hatred and hate speech since the start of the conflict. Israel and the US have divergent approaches to securing the release of hostages held by Hamas, with Israel insisting on their release before any pause in fighting.