Israel Katz

President Gustavo Petro said Wednesday Colombia will sever diplomatic ties with Israel, whose government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu he described as "genocidal" in its war in Gaza.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has reiterated Türkiye's steadfast commitment to standing by the Palestinians amidst relentless Israeli strikes on the war-torn Gaza Strip.

Ankara will continue to exert all its efforts to ensure those responsible for the deaths of over 34,000 civilians in Gaza are brought to justice, Fidan said in a social media post late on April 29.

Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesperson Öncü Keçeli has criticized Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz over his statement against President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and recalled that it was the Israeli army who killed 35,000 Palestinian civilians.

British Foreign Secretary David Cameron urged the G7 Wednesday to adopt new "coordinated sanctions" against Iran after its weekend attack on Israel, ahead of a meeting with counterparts from the Western-led grouping in Italy.

Israel's foreign minister, Israel Katz, issued a stark warning to Iran, asserting that Israel would retaliate with a direct military strike if attacked from Iranian territory. The threat comes amidst escalating tensions between the two nations following a recent airstrike on Iran's consulate in Syria, which claimed the lives of several high-ranking Iranian officials.

Israel was on alert Thursday after its arch-foe Iran threatened reprisals over a strike in Syria this month that killed two Iranian generals, and as the war against Hamas ground on in Gaza.

Turkish and American top diplomats have discussed on the phone the latest developments in Gaza amid fears of a fresh escalation between Israel and Iran.

According to Turkish diplomatic sources, the phone conversation between Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken occurred upon the initiative of the latter.

Canada will halt all arms shipments to Israel, a government official told AFP on Tuesday, a decision that has drawn the ire of Israel as it faces growing international scrutiny over its war in the Gaza Strip.

The besieged Palestinian territory is facing a mounting humanitarian crisis, and months of war have pushed hundreds of thousands of Gazans to the brink of famine.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's comparison of Israel's military campaign in Gaza to the Holocaust has unleashed a diplomatic firestorm, with Brazil recalling its ambassador Monday and Israel declaring Lula "persona non grata."

United Nations chief Antonio Guterres announced Monday the creation of an independent panel to assess UNRWA, its embattled agency tasked with helping Palestinian refugees.

UNRWA is under fire over accusations by Israel that 12 staff members were involved in the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7.