Dozens of Gaza protestors arrested in Senate office building

Dozens of people were arrested during a demonstration inside the Dirksen Senate Office building on Tuesday after they urged Congress to send more humanitarian aid to Gaza and halt U.S. arms sales to Israel.

The protest, organized by Christians for a Free Palestine, involved at least 60 activists who blocked the entrances and lines to the Dirksen cafeteria around noon on Tuesday, the grassroots organization said.

“They [protestors] announced that they would not leave or let anyone get food in the Senate Cafeteria until nourishing food is sent to Gaza and the U.S. stops funding the bombs that have killed over 33,000 Palestinians since Oct. 7,” Christians for a Free Palestine said in a statement to The Hill.

Capitol Police shut down the cafeteria and asked all staffers, tourists and workers to leave the cafeteria, the organization said.

About 50 demonstrators were arrested and charged with crowding, obstructing or incommoding, Capitol Police confirmed to The Hill. Police added it is illegal to demonstrated inside any of the Congressional buildings.

The organization said 60 activists were arrested, including 30 ordained clergy.

“The Senate and their staff will not be dining today until the people of Gaza eat and are safe,” participant Nichola Torbett said in a statement. “We are here to pray blessings for the food that Congress will send to Gaza when they do the right thing. We are here to call attention to what is wrong, like our faith calls us to do.”

The protest comes as pressure mounts on Washington leaders to increase scrutiny over Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, which has killed more than 33,000 civilians since early October.

Israel’s operations faced fierce criticism last week after six aid workers with the World Central Kitchen and their Palestinian driver were killed in an Israeli airstrike after delivering aid in central Gaza. The group was driving in armored cars labeled with World Central Kitchen logos when the strike hit.

Biden issued his sharpest criticism of Netanyahu after the attack, warning U.S. policy on the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza would now be determined by “immediate” steps Israel needs to take to reduce an “unacceptable” humanitarian situation. The tone marked a notable shift from Biden since the war broke out last October, when Hamas killed nearly 1,200 people and kidnapped 250 others in a surprise attack.

A group of Democrat lawmakers last week called on Biden to halt the sale and transfer of weapon to Israel if Netanyahu’s government continues to block U.S. humanitarian assistance to Gaza.