According to Reuters, in an emailed letter to the State Department employees, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has stated: “The anguish that comes with seeing the daily images of babies, children, elderly people, women, and other civilians suffering in this crisis is wrenching. I feel it myself.

“I also know that some people in the Department may disagree with approaches we are taking or have views on what we can do better. We’ve organised forums in Washington to hear from you, and urged managers and teams to have candid discussions at posts around the world precisely so we can hear your feedback and ideas.

“I’ve asked our senior leadership to keep doing that.” “We’re listening: what you share is informing our policy and our messages.” HuffPost was the first to report on the email.

Blinken’s letter comes amid protests in the US and other countries calling for a ceasefire, and widespread concern among officials over the US response to the Middle East crisis, which has included the public resignation of one State Department official who said he opposed continued lethal assistance to Israel.