Blinken discusses Gaza ceasefire talks with Turkish foreign minister

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke on the phone with his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan.

Blinken's office says he spoke "about the importance of Hamas’ return to negotiations on August 15 to finalise the framework for achieving an immediate and durable ceasefire in Gaza and securing the release of all hostages".

From his side, a spokesperson for Fidan said the foreign minister urged the US to put pressure on Israel to secure a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.

Fidan said Israel must avoid "provocative actions" that could escalate tensions in the region while Hamas had shown a "constructive attitude" in previous truce talks.

Fidan added that Israel's assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran and the "ongoing massacre against Palestinians once again demonstrated Israel’s lack of willingness to establish peace".