By Amjad Qaimkhani
WASHINGTON: Demonstrators gathered outside the White House in Washington, D.C., to protest against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, demanding an immediate end to the war in Gaza and a halt to US support for Israel. The protest, held amid heightened global outrage over the ongoing Israeli assault on the besieged Palestinian territory, saw a sea of Palestinian flags and chants condemning the rising civilian death toll.
Protesters accused the Israeli government of committing atrocities in Gaza and called on the Biden administration to withdraw military and diplomatic backing for Tel Aviv. “More than 57,400 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza by Israeli airstrikes,” one demonstrator said, holding a placard with images of destroyed homes and wounded children. “This is not self-defence—it’s a massacre, and the US is complicit.”
The demonstrators expressed deep frustration with what they described as the international community’s silence and inaction in the face of large-scale human suffering. Many cited the failure of Western powers to meaningfully pressure Israel into a ceasefire or accountability. “Why is the world silent while Gaza burns?” shouted one protester through a megaphone. Others accused Washington of double standards, highlighting the billions of dollars in military aid the US provides to Israel annually.
The protest reflects a growing shift in public opinion in parts of the United States, where grassroots movements, student groups, and civil rights activists have increasingly mobilised against the war in Gaza. Recent weeks have seen similar protests erupt in New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles, echoing demands for an immediate ceasefire, humanitarian access, and justice for Palestinian victims.
