Protestors ready for massive rally in US heartland during Netanyahu's visit

Activists opposing Israel's war on Gaza and Washington's continuous support for its Middle Eastern ally, plan protests at the US Capitol on Wednesday to coincide with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's US visit this week.

Police expect a "large number of demonstrators" and were making additional security arrangements but said there were no known threats.

Netanyahu will be in Washington this week for a July 24 address to a joint session of the US Congress. He is expected to meet US President Joe Biden.

The US has seen months of protests from human rights activists, anti-war demonstrators, pro-Palestinian groups and college students over US support for Israel amid its war on Gaza that has killed at least 38,983 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities while displacing nearly all its 2.3 million population and causing a man-made hunger crisis.

Biden has recently supported talks for a ceasefire but has continued military support for Israel.

Israel's military campaign followed an Oct. 7 attack by Palestinian resistance fighters Hamas and Israeli army's haphazard reaction that initiated the controversial cannibal protocol causing the death of 1,200 according to Israeli figures, which was revived down several times from 1400.

On the morning of October 7th, under the banner of the "Al-Aqsa Flood" operation, Palestinian resistance fighters under the Hamas's Qassam Brigade launched a daring infiltration from the blockaded Palestinian enclave of Gaza into southern Israel via land, air, and sea.

A barrage of thousands of missiles accompanied their audacious move. This escalation led to a tragically high death toll on both sides, with Hamas taking around 250 Israeli captives, including military personnel, as bargaining chips for future negotiations.

Massive protests

A coalition of groups is expected to participate in the protests, among them ANSWER (an acronym for "Act Now to Stop War and End Racism"), women-led peace and human rights group CodePink, Palestinian groups such as Palestinian American Community Center and Jewish groups including Jewish Voice for Peace.

CodePink told Reuters organisers had arranged buses for human rights advocates to come to Washington from numerous states across the country.

"We anticipate a large number of demonstrators to show up," the US Capitol Police said. "Our plan includes adding more officers — including from several outside agencies."

A flyer urged the formation of a "People's Red Line around the Capitol building" on Wednesday, where demonstrators will criticise the US government for not drawing a "red line" in supporting Israel despite the war's death toll.

Around 230 anonymous Capitol Hill staffers from 122 offices signed a letter, made public last week, urging their bosses to either protest or boycott the July 24 address to Congress by Netanyahu against whom the International Criminal Court prosecutor's office recently requested an arrest warrant over war crimes.

US protests since the war erupted in Gaza have included marches, vigils and the blocking of bridges and roads near train stations and airports in multiple cities along with encampments on college campuses.