Police in US arrest protestors calling for Gaza cease-fire inside Capitol rotunda

By Servet Gunerigok

WASHINGTON (AA) - A group of demonstrators staged a protest Tuesday at the Capitol building to call for a cease-fire in Gaza.

The US Capitol police reportedly made arrests after protestors gathered at the Capitol rotunda. Some reports put their number between 60-100.

The demonstrators also protested against US aid for Israel.

They also carried banners that said "The people chose life. Cease-fire now!," "Protect Immigrant Asylees" and "Divest from Militarism, Invest in Life.”

Israel's air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7 attack by the Palestinian group Hamas have killed at least 19,667 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured 52,586 others, according to health authorities in the enclave.

The war has left Gaza in ruins, with half of the coastal territory's housing stock damaged or destroyed and nearly 2 million people displaced within the densely populated enclave amid shortages of food and clean water.

Nearly 1,200 Israelis are believed to have been killed in the Hamas attack, while more than 130 hostages remain in captivity.