US police have detained six relatives of Israeli detainees in Gaza who protested during Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's address to Congress, according to US and Israeli media reports and a group representing the captives.
Five people were detained and escorted out of the gallery on Wednesday after they stood up wearing matching T-shirts emblazoned with the words “Seal the deal,” in a call for the Israeli leader to negotiate a deal to free their loved ones, US media outlet Axios reported.
Another protester was ejected after repeatedly shouting “1,400 dead!” during Netanyahu’s 52-minute speech, the Huffington Post reported.
Capitol Police spokeswoman Brianna Burch told Axios that the individuals were arrested because they violated a statute prohibiting demonstrations inside the US Capitol.
“Disrupting the workings of Congress and demonstrating in Congressional buildings is against the law,” Burch said in a statement.
Our officers just reported that the final number of arrests at the House Galleries was a total of six individuals for unlawful conduct under DC Code section 10-503.16(b)(2).
— U.S. Capitol Police (@CapitolPolice) July 24, 2024
Before the event, US House Speaker Mike Johnson had warned that charges could be brought against anyone who caused “riots.”
The Missing Hostages and Families Forum, a group representing relatives of Israelis taken captive on Oct. 7, identified five of the detained protesters as Michael Levy, Alon Gat, Gil Dickmann, Carmit Palty Katzir and Corinne Leat.
Capitol Police identified the sixth as Zahiro Shahar Mor, the nephew of captive Abraham Munder.
The protesters were later released after several Jewish senators lobbied on their behalf, the forum said.
'Keep fighting'
In a joint statement, five of the protesters criticized their detention and said they would continue to raise their voices on behalf of the captives.
“No matter what happens, we will continue to fight for those who cannot: our relatives held captive in Gaza,” they said.
Mor, who was invited to speak by U.S. Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, called his arrest “ridiculous” and criticized Netanyahu for not prioritizing the captives.
“He is [Netanyahu’s] “He's not answerable to the people he's responsible for,” Mor told the Huffington Post after his release.
Omar, who boycotted Netanyahu's speech, said Mor had shown “courage in denouncing Netanyahu's genocide.”
Her views reflect “the sentiment shared by millions of Americans who want to see a permanent ceasefire and an end to this genocide funded by our tax dollars,” Omar said.
In a separate statement about her decision not to attend the speech, Omar called Netanyahu’s invitation “shameful” and “damaging” to America’s “reputation” “at home and abroad.”
Statement from Rep. Omar on Benjamin Netanyahu's speech to Congress: image.twitter.com/Fu70LBObKS
— Representative Ilhan Omar (@Ilhan) July 24, 2024
Many relatives and supporters of the captives have been holding regular protests against the Netanyahu government in Israel, calling on it to end the war and bring them home.
On Thursday, the Israeli military announced it had recovered the bodies of five more captives in the war-ravaged enclave.
In a statement, the Forum for Missing Hostages and Families said the discovery “offers their families important closure and eternal rest for those killed.”
“It is Israel's duty to return all those killed for an honourable burial and all living hostages for rehabilitation,” he said.
The Gaza Health Ministry has said more than 39,000 people have been killed and 90,257 injured since the current conflict erupted.
The death toll in Israel from the Hamas-led attacks on October 7 is estimated at 1,139, with dozens still held captive in Gaza.
