'You will be remembered as the butcher of Gaza': Protests erupt during Blinken's Senate testimony

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - US Secretary of State Antony was repeatedly interrupted by pro-Palestinian demonstrators Tuesday as he delivered testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

"Blinken, you will be remembered as the butcher of Gaza," one protester yelled as he was removed from the chamber by Capitol police. "You will be remembered for murdering innocent Palestinians."

Blinken's testimony was ground to a halt at least four more times Tuesday as demonstrators sought to draw attention to ongoing US support for Israel's war on the besieged Gaza Strip, calling the invasion "sick" and "deranged," and repeatedly calling Blinken a "war criminal."

"Stop the genocide! Stop the genocide! Stop the genocide!" another elderly demonstrator shouted as she was escorted out of the committee room.

"He is a war criminal. The blood of 40,000 people is on your hands. The blood of 40,000 Palestinians is on your hand," yet another demonstrator shouted.

The top US diplomat's testimony comes as Israel's war is well into its eighth month amid continued relentless bombardment that has led to wide-scale devastation and mass displacement throughout Gaza.

More than 35,600 Palestinians have been killed, the vast majority of whom have been women and children, and nearly 79,900 others injured since the war began in October following a Hamas-led cross-border attack on Israel. About 1,200 people were killed on Oct. 7, and hundreds more were taken back to Gaza as hostages.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January said it is "plausible" that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza and ordered Tel Aviv to stop such acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.

The war has not slowed in the interim, however, and aid deliveries remain woefully inadequate in the face of the coastal enclave's humanitarian catastrophe.