WASHINGTON: Thousands of demonstrators marched towards the US Capitol on Wednesday to protest Benjamin Netanyahu and call for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war, as the Israeli premier addressed the US Congress.
Police deployed pepper spray as a large crowd protesting Israel’s war in Gaza marched toward the U.S. Capitol.
Thousands of protesters descended on Washington, chanting “Free, Free Palestine” as some tried to block streets ahead of Netanyahu's speech.
Police wearing gas marks blocked the crowd, which was calling for an end to the war that has killed more than 39,000 Palestinians, from getting closer to the Capitol.
U.S. Capitol Police said in a post on X that some members of the crowd had become “violent” and had “failed to obey” orders to move back from the police line.
“We are deploying pepper spray toward anyone trying to break the law and cross that line,” Capitol Police said.
Protesters carrying signs with messages such as “arrest Netanyahu” and “end all U.S. aid to Israel" rallied near the Capitol before marching toward the building. Organizers said they would try to block Netanyahu's route to the building, and police forcibly removed from the street protesters who were trying to block one intersection.
The prime minister was greeted by House Speaker Mike Johnson as he arrived Wednesday afternoon at the Capitol, where Netanyahu was seeking to bolster U.S. support for his country’s fight against Hamas.
After blocking a nearby intersection, protesters chanted, “Shut it down!” as they marched behind a banner that said “globalize the student intifada.”
“Bibi, Bibi, We’re not done! The intifada has just begun!” they shouted, referring to Netanyahu by his nickname. Other protesters chanted, “Netanyahu, you can't hide. You're committing genocide."
Netanyahu addresses Congress ahead of cease-fire talks
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed Congress in Washington as he sought to bolster U.S. support for his country’s fight against Hamas and other Iran-backed armed groups.
He has signaled that a cease-fire deal could be taking shape after nine months of war. Meanwhile, hundreds of protesters gathered near the U.S. Capitol to denounce Israel's war in Gaza.
Palestinians displaced by the Israeli military’s latest order to leave parts of the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis say they are sleeping in the streets. The Health Ministry in Gaza says over 39,100 Palestinians have been killed in the war.
Officials from Egypt, Israel, the United States and Qatar had been expected to meet in Doha on Thursday with the aim of resuming talks for a proposed three-phase cease-fire to end the war between Israel and Hamas and free the remaining hostages. But an Israeli official said Wednesday that Israel's negotiating team was delayed and would likely be dispatched next week.
Netanyahu receives standing ovation from both parties in Congress
Benjamin Netanyahu walked into the U.S. House chamber Wednesday afternoon and received a standing ovation from both parties, with only a few Democrats seated while everyone else cheered for him. One of those Democrats was Rep. Rashida Tlaib, the only Palestinian-American in Congress.
Republicans enthusiastically cheered Netanyahu, while the Democratic side of the chamber was notably less enthusiastic. Most Democratic members stood and applauded, but were less willing to give the prime minister an enthusiastic greeting.
Scattered throughout the gallery that overlooks the House chamber, at least six people wore T-shirts saying “Seal the deal now,” urging Netanyahu to reach a deal to return hostages.
Palestinian Health Ministry releases an updated list of Palestinians killed
The Palestinian Health Ministry has released an updated comprehensive list of Palestinians killed in Israel’s nine-month military offensive.
While the ministry releases a daily update to the overall death toll, this is just the fifth time it has released a detailed list identifying the dead by name, age and gender.
The document, dated June 30, reported a total of 37,900 dead. That includes 28,185 names, and 9,715 others who remained unidentified.
The ministry does not differentiate between civilians and combatants. It said 14,671 people, or 52% of the identified dead, were women or children. That percentage, which has dropped over the course of the war, is widely seen as an indicator of civilian deaths.
The large numbers of unidentified deaths have drawn accusations from Israel that the Hamas-linked Health Ministry has inflated the death toll. Israel says its forces have killed roughly 15,000 militants, without providing evidence to back the claim.
Palestinian health officials say it takes time to identify the dead because the health system has been overwhelmed by the war and some bodies are badly disfigured or not immediately claimed by their families. They say the true death toll is likely much higher because thousands of bodies are believed to be trapped in the rubble of buildings destroyed in Israeli strikes.