"We have been waiting for a long time in this country to have this kind of leadership with that kind of clarity."

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio appeared on Fox News with an ashen cross on his forehead, applauding President Donald Trump’s tweet threatening the people of Gaza to "RELEASE THE HOSTAGES NOW, OR THERE WILL BE HELL TO PAY LATER!"

The cross, which is a symbol of repentance worn on Ash Wednesday, sparked debate on social media, with many pointing out the contrast between its meaning and the harsh rhetoric calling for indiscriminate murder.