Protests Erupt in Congress Over Netanyahu's Visit

Media reports on Tuesday indicated that U.S. police are trying to disperse a protest in the U.S. Capitol demanding an end to the war on Gaza and a halt to the supply of weapons to Israel, according to an urgent statement from Al Jazeera.

The reports detailed that the "Jews for Disarming Israel" coalition is staging a sit-in at the Capitol, calling for an end to the war on Gaza.

Last Friday, Axios reported that Capitol Police stated there would be an increased presence of law enforcement in the Capitol building in preparation for a speech by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Netanyahu is scheduled to address U.S. lawmakers from both the Senate and the House of Representatives in Congress on July 24.

Several U.S. lawmakers have expressed their opposition to Netanyahu’s visit due to his actions during the Gaza war. Senator Bernie Sanders stated that Netanyahu is a war criminal and should not be allowed to visit Congress.

National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan mentioned that the U.S. administration expects Netanyahu's speech to Congress to be different from his 2015 address.