Hundreds of progressive American Jews who called for a ceasefire were arrested in a massive act of peaceful civil disobedience at the Capitol (US Congress) building in Washington, DC, on Wednesday, while the Biden administration and leaders of the two parties (Democrat and Republican) insist on... Congress insists on the continuation of the killing,” according to a statement issued by the Jewish Voice for Peace organization. .

The US Capitol Police arrested more than 300 people who were protesting inside the rotunda of the “Cannon House Office” building in Congress, to demand that Congress pass a ceasefire resolution in the war between Israel and Gaza amid a worsening humanitarian crisis.

The arrests occurred after demonstrators gathered, including American Jews and their allies who are concerned about Palestinians in Gaza. The demonstrators raised a banner reading in red, “Our blood is of the same color,” waved Palestinian flags, and held banners reading, “My sadness is not your weapon,” “Massacres will never happen to anyone again,” and “Zionism is racist.” There were Jews wearing prayer shawls and kabats, young activists wearing tattoos and nose rings, and people wearing hijabs and the black-and-white-checkered Palestinian keffiyeh.

Inside the Parliament building, demonstrators wore black T-shirts with “Not in our name” written on the front and “Jews say stop shooting now” on the back, as they sang and chanted police warnings to disperse.

Sonia Meyerson Knox, spokeswoman for Jewish Voice for Peace, a national Jewish anti-Zionist organization, said that the crowd inside Cannon Hall included 400 American Jews and 25 rabbis who oppose the Israeli occupation and demand that Congress pass a ceasefire resolution.

“We warned the protesters to stop demonstrating, and when they did not comply, we began arresting them,” Capitol Police said in a statement. They added that preliminary information shows that about 300 people were arrested, including three people on charges of assaulting a police officer.

The demonstration comes amid protests across the Middle East after a raid on a hospital in Gaza City on Tuesday that killed 500 Palestinians and injured hundreds more.

US President Biden has expressed his full and unconditional support for Israel since the attack of the Islamic Resistance Movement “Hamas” on the areas surrounding Gaza in the Palestinian territories occupied in 1948 on October 7, when Hamas fighters penetrated Israel’s borders, killing more than 1,400 people. About 200 were captured and taken to Gaza.

Since then, the Israeli raids on the Gaza Strip have led to the killing of more than 3,500, the vast majority of whom are civilians, especially children, and the wounding of more than 12,500 others.

Protesters on Wednesday pointed to the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where more than two million people live, nearly half of whom are children. Israel has cut off access to food, water, electricity and fuel, and ordered up to a million people to flee south while Israeli forces focus their air strikes on northern Gaza. Without vital resources, people are forced to use “dirty water from wells, increasing the risk of waterborne diseases,” the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees said on Saturday.

Speakers at the rally on the west side of the Capitol called for a ceasefire as cars honked in support and the crowd chanted "Long live Gaza!" From the podium, Missouri Democratic Representative Cori Bush said that she and her colleagues were described as "disgraceful" for presenting the ceasefire resolution.

Bush said: "There is nothing hateful or disgraceful about saving lives... We are pushing for peace."

In turn, Representative Rashida Tlaib (Michigan), one of the Democrats in the House of Representatives who also presented the draft resolution and spoke at Wednesday’s rally, denounced the statements of US President Biden, who recently pledged during his meeting in Israel with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the United States will continue to Relentless support for Israel.

Tlaib said about Biden: “Not all Americans are with you on this matter,” and added: “The Americans want a ceasefire.” They want it to stop."