U.S. and Israel Crackdown On Anti-War Protestors

Roughly 500 people who attended a sit-in at the United States Congress organized by Jewish Voice for Peace have been arrested as they sat on the floor of the lobby of the congressional building, unfurling a large banner that said “ceasefire” as the death toll in Gaza continues to rise, reports Aljazeera. US police said they had cleared the building of protesters by Wednesday evening and were processing arrests.

Meanwhile, in Israel, Israel’s police chief, Kobi Shabtai, has said there will be “zero tolerance” for protests in support of Gaza in Israel, threatening to respond by sending anti-war demonstrators to the besieged Palestinian enclave. Israel Police spokesman Eli Levy told Army Radio on Wednesday that since the start of the Gaza war on October 7, 63 people in Israel have been arrested on suspicion of supporting or inciting “terror”. Israeli Police are also scouring social media to find Palestinians in Israel who were expressing support for Hamas. Palestinian authorities have said that more than 3,400 people have been killed and more than 12,000 others wounded in the Israeli assault since the initial surprise assault by Hamas.