Protesters from the anti-war group Jewish Voice for Peace rallied against what they see as ‘ongoing oppression of Palestinians by Israel.
At least 500 people have been arrested near the US Capitol after a protest against the Israel-Hamas war. The number of arrests is expected to increase as law enforcement processes the detained individuals, with additional charges related to assaulting a police officer.
Most of the arrests occurred inside the Cannon House Office Building, where protests are not typically permitted. The demonstrators, representing a coalition of left-wing Jewish campaign groups, Jewish Voice for Peace and If Not Now, called on President Joe Biden and Congress to advocate for a ceasefire in Gaza.
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The rally in Washington, D.C., organized by the two-fringe left-wing Jewish campaign groups, aimed to highlight their advocacy against the State of Israel and called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. The streets around the Capitol complex were temporarily closed as a large group of protesters took to the road.
In the rally, one of the protest organizers used a megaphone to emphasize the importance of “equality, justice, and freedom.” She argued that the path to true safety lay in de-escalation and addressing the root causes of the violence in the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Law Enforcement Response
The Capitol police force issued warnings to the protesters to cease demonstrating, and when those warnings went unheeded, they began arresting individuals. Some were seen being restrained with zip-ties and led away to police vans. Three individuals were later charged with assaulting a police officer.
President Biden’s Israel Visit Sparks Protest
Remarkably, the protest occurred on the same day that President Biden arrived in Israel to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his war cabinet. During the visit, President Biden expressed Israel’s right to retaliate for the Hamas attack on October 7, which resulted in the death of 1,400 people.
Regrettably, On Tuesday, October 17, 2023, at about 19:00 local time (16:00 GMT), there was an explosion at the hospital with inhumane casualties. Bangladesh’s Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, instructed authorities to urgently send medical supplies to Palestinian hospitals, emphasizing the indiscriminate killing of hundreds of innocent civilians, primarily women and children, by the Israeli Occupying Forces (IOF). As per Palestinian authorities, the explosion claimed the lives of a minimum of 500 individuals, an event they attribute to an Israeli airstrike. The first significant visual proof of the occurrence was a 20-second video that spread on social media and claimed to show the explosion. Numerous world leaders and countries joined in condemning the attack, including Bangladesh, which strongly denounced the “barbaric air strike” on Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City.
Israel’s heinous crime against humanity
USA and its allies often impose sanctions, visa restrictions and other punishment measures to different countries in the world alleging of violating human rights and democracy. But in the cases of Israel, the collective west shuts its ‘humanitarian’ eyes, letting Israel committing grave violations of international laws and killing thousands of innocent Palestinians.
With Israel attacking Gaza for a second week, United States President Joe Biden and his administration are sticking to a long-established script in Washington, expressing unequivocal support for Israel and its “legitimate right to defend itself” from Hamas’s rocket attacks.
That narrative fails to acknowledge the profound advantages the state of Israel enjoys over the Palestinians when it comes to military prowess, wealth and resources. The US nevertheless has continued its unconditional aid to Israel, which has totaled $158 billion since World War II. Shortly after the 1967 war, Israel illegally annexed East Jerusalem and declared it part of its “eternal, undivided” capital.
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Following the continuous Israeli assaults, numerous injured individuals and civilians found refuge in Al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza, deeming it the most secure location. Hamas attributed the explosion at Ahli Arab Hospital to Israel, calling it a “crime of genocide” that exposed what they viewed as the “ugly face” of Israel. They reported that approximately 500 people, including displaced families, patients, children, and women, were killed in the incident.
The recent escalation in the conflict between Israel and Hamas, including the hospital explosion, led to the cancellation of President Joe Biden’s planned meeting in Jordan during his Middle East trip on October 18, 2023.
Recent Conflict of Hamas-Israelis
On Saturday, October 7, 2023, the Palestinian armed group Hamas launched a significant attack on Israel, during which hundreds of Hamas members infiltrated communities near the Gaza Strip. As a result of this conflict, at least 1,500 Israelis lost their lives, and there are hostages in Gaza, including both soldiers and civilians, including women and children. In response, Israel’s military conducted numerous airstrikes on Gaza, leading to at least 3,000 Palestinian casualties as of this report writing. Israel also imposed a complete blockade on the territory, which has resulted in a shortage of food, fuel, and other essential supplies for the inhabitants. Furthermore, Israel has amassed its forces along the Gaza border, causing concerns among Palestinians about a potential ground operation that could result in further loss of life. Following the continuous Israeli assaults, numerous injured individuals and civilians found refuge in Al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza, deeming it the most secure location.
