Secretary of State Antony Blinken has acknowledged the emotional toll that the war between Israel and Hamas has taken on US diplomats amid media reports of internal dissent over Washington’s handling of the conflict, AFP reports.

Blinken sent a letter to all State Department employees, noting the “challenging” circumstances affecting the US diplomatic corps, some of whom feel the “ripples of fear and bigotry” the conflict has generated.

The United States, he said, mourns the loss of “every innocent life in this conflict.” “That is why President Biden has made clear … that while we fully support Israel’s right to defend itself, how it does so matters,” he added, referring to the need to respect “the rule of law and international humanitarian standards.”