White House condemns antisemitism and violence at DC protests

Opposition Leader Yair Lapid called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to the US Congress a “disgrace.”

He slammed Netanyahu for failing to talk about a hostage deal between Israel and Hamas. 

“An hour of talking without saying (the) one sentence: “There will be a hostage deal,” Lapid posted on his X account. 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses a joint meeting of Congress in Washington, DC, on July 24.

During his nearly 52-minute address to US Congress Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not mention ceasefire negotiations despite months of international pressure to find a deal.

Latest on negotiations: Detailed ceasefire negotiations aimed at turning a framework agreement into a final deal have stretched into their third week. US and Israeli officials voiced increased optimism about a deal being reached ahead of the high-stakes speech.

US officials insist that Israel and Hamas have both agreed to the broad framework of a deal, but specifics and crucial technicalities need to be hammered out. Mediators from the US, Egypt and Qatar have been leading efforts to finalize those details.

A source familiar with the negotiations told CNN Tuesday an Israeli delegation that was expected to leave on Thursday to transmit the latest Israeli response to the mediators is likely to delay its trip until at least Friday as a result of Netanyahu’s meeting with President Joe Biden being postponed until Thursday afternoon. The Israeli prime minister wants to meet with Biden before the Israeli delegation formally transmits its response to the mediators, the source said.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s “vision” for the Middle East – and for Israel’s relations with its Arab neighbors – is hardly new. For years, he has tried to push normalization with countries like Saudi Arabia as a step toward bringing about an end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

In September 2020, during an event to mark the Abraham Accords in which Israel normalized relations with the UAE and Bahrain, Netanyahu said, “The blessings of the peace we make today will be enormous. First, because this peace will eventually expand to include other Arab States. And, ultimately, it can end the Arab-Israeli conflict once and for all.”

Netanyahu’s plan tries to flip the traditional script on normalization, in which Israel first has to make peace with the Palestinians and only then can it have relations with Saudi Arabia and others. The Israeli prime minister wants normalization with Saudi Arabia to come before a deal with the Palestinians, one that would likely require concessions from Israel.

But the Saudis have made it clear that normalization must come with irreversible steps toward the establishment of a Palestinian state, something that Netanyahu’s far right coalition partners absolutely reject.

Mustafa Barghouti, head of the Palestinian National Initiative, an independent Palestinian political party, denounced Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech to Congress on Wednesday, saying it was “full of lies.”

Netanyahu’s speech “is advocating Islamophobia,” Barghouti said.

The United States Capitol Police removed five people from the House gallery during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech for disruptions and arrested them, according to a statement posted on X.

All of them were arrested, police said.

WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 24: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses a joint meeting of Congress in the chamber of the House of Representatives at the U.S. Capitol on July 24, 2024 in Washington, DC.

As Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered remarks inside the House chamber, here’s what CNN saw: 

There were some bipartisan moments: Twice when Netanyahu praised President Joe Biden, both sides gave him a standing ovation. When Netanyahu condemned political violence, that prompted another standing ovation from both sides.

But when Netanyahu praised former President Donald Trump for the Abraham Accords, Republicans stood up and cheered in applause, while Democrats remained seated.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses a joint meeting of Congress in the chamber of the House of Representatives at the U.S. Capitol on July 24, 2024 in Washington, DC. 

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel will continue waging war in Gaza “until we destroy Hamas’ military capabilities and its rule in Gaza and bring all our hostages home.”

“We will settle for nothing less,” Netanyahu said during remarks to US Congress on Wednesday.

He then set forth what he described as his vision for a new post-war Gaza.

“Gaza should have a civilian administration run by Palestinians who do not seek to destroy Israel. That’s not too much to Israel. It’s a fundamental thing that we have a right to demand and receive,” the prime minister said. 

“Demilitarization and deradicalization – those two concepts were applied to Germany and Japan after World War II and that led to decades of peace, prosperity and security. Following our victory, with the help of regional partners, the demilitarization and deradicalization of Gaza can also lead to a future of security, prosperity and peace,” Netanyahu said.

The US has been intensely working with regional partners to establish plans for security and governance when the war comes to an end and has encouraged the Israeli government to come up with its own ideas as well. 

Secretary of State Antony Blinken in November laid out a series of principles that the US expected for post-war Gaza, including no re-occupation by Israel, no reduction of territory in Gaza. The US has also called for a unified Palestinian government led by a “revitalized” Palestinian Authority.

Blinken has also warned of the dire situation that could emerge in the absence of day after plans.

“What we can’t have is an agreement that’s followed by some kind of void that will either be filled, if it’s there, by Hamas coming back, which is unacceptable; by Israel prolonging its occupation, which they say they don’t want to do and is unacceptable; or just having a vacuum that’s filled by lawlessness, that’s filled by chaos, which we see in so many parts of Gaza right now, which is also inimical to actually helping people who desperately need it,” Blinken said Friday.

This post was updated with more of Netanyahu’s remarks on Gaza and background on the US stance.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in his address to Congress urged the United States to fast-tack military aid to Israel as the war in Gaza continues.

“Fast-tracking US military aid can dramatically expedite an end to the war in Gaza and help prevent a broader war in the Middle East,” he said.

Netanyahu framed weapons deliveries to Israel as a way for the US to avoid getting involved in conflict in the region.

“We help keep Americans’ boots off the ground, while protecting our shared interests in the Middle East, he said.

Some background: Netanyahu had previously complained about what he has described as “ barely a trickle” of weapons being provided by the Biden administration. 

But senior US officials went line-by-line through arms shipments with Israel’s defense minister to show that weapons have continued to flow to Israel throughout the war. A CNN analysis of flight tracking data also showed scores of flights from Israel to US Air Force bases, including both US military flights and Israeli-contracted cargo jets.  

One shipment of 2,000-pound bombs remains paused by the Biden administration.

The post was updated with more on Netanyahu’s remarks about military assistance and background on the US position on weaponry.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called accusations that Israeli is engaged in genocide against Palestinians in Gaza “outrageous slanders” in his address to Congress.

“The outrageous slanders that paint Israel as racist and genocidal are meant to delegitimize Israel, to demonize the Jewish state, and to demonize Jews everywhere,” said Netanyahu.

He compared what he called such “wild accusations” to the sort of historical anti-Semitic lies that led to the Holocaust.

Netanyahu specifically slammed the International Criminal Court allegations that Israel is starving Palestinians in Gaza, calling it “utter, complete nonsense” and “a complete fabrication.”

According to the UN, 96% of the population of Gaza currently faces “crisis or worse levels of food insecurity.”

Netanyahu also said Israel has “enabled more than 40,000 aid trucks to enter Gaza,” a number also disputed by the UN.

Netanyahu accused Hamas of stealing the food, rather than Israel blocking it from entering. However, there have been very few public instances of mass diversion of aid by the group.

A humanitarian official told CNN Wednesday that “no humanitarian goods are crossing into Gaza via Kerem Shalom because the unloading zone has been full for weeks.

The US has continually said Israel should do more to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused the International Criminal Court (ICC) of “trying to shackle Israel’s hands.”

In May, the ICC said it is seeking arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Hamas leader in Gaza Yahya Sinwar on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity over the October 7 attacks on Israel and the subsequent war in Gaza.

“The ICC is trying to shackle Israel’s hands and prevent us from defending ourselves. And if Israel’s hands are tied, America is next,” Netanyahu warned on Wednesday.

The prime minister also said that such a move would imperil the “ability of all democracies to fight terrorism.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed his gratitude for former President Donald Trump during his speech to Congress.

“I also want to thank President Trump for all the things he did for Israel, from recognizing Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights to confronting Iran’s aggression, to recognizing Jerusalem as our capital and moving the American Embassy there,” he said.

He added that “like Americans, Israelis were relieved” that he survived the attempted assassination attack on July 13 at a rally in Pennsylvania.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed accusations from the International Criminal Court that Israel has intentionally starved Gazans while waging war.

ICC prosecutor Karim Khan announced in May that he had requested arrest warrants for three Hamas leaders and two Israeli politicians – Netanyahu and Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant – on allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity over the October 7 attacks in Israel and the subsequent war in Gaza.

Khan said the accusations against Netanyahu and Gallant include “causing extermination, causing starvation as a method of war, including the denial of humanitarian relief supplies, deliberately targeting civilians in conflict.”

Netanyahu denied the accusations, saying Wednesday that “if there are Palestinians in Gaza who are not getting enough food, it is not Israel blocking it, it is because Hamas is stealing it.”

He continued: “The ICC prosecutor accuses Israel of deliberately targeting citizens. What in God’s green Earth is he talking about? The IDF just dropped millions of fliers, sent millions of text messages, made hundreds of thousands of phone calls to get Palestinian civilians out of harm’s way. But at the same time, Hamas — Hamas does everything in its power to put Palestinian civilians in harm’s way.”

Some background: Israel’s military campaign has pulverized neighborhoods, damaged health infrastructure and depleted food, water and fuel supplies.

While Israeli officials have insisted there is no limit on the amount of aid that can enter Gaza, the UN has accused authorities of imposing “unlawful restrictions” on relief operations such as blocked land routes, communications blackouts and air strikes.

Local staffers told CNN they are forced to turn away the needy at distribution points because there is not enough relief to hand out.

CNN’s Tara John, Rachel Wilson and Sana Noor Haq contributed reporting.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made the case that Israel is fighting for American interests because his country is fighting against Iran in its war.

After criticizing campus protesters, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu didn’t spare university leaders during his speech Wednesday to the US Congress.

Netanyahu went on to offer the “befuddled academics” some context.

“Antisemitism is the world’s oldest hatred. For centuries, the massacre of Jews was always preceded by wild accusations. We were accused of everything from poisoning wells to spreading plagues, to using the blood of slaughtered children to bake Passover matzos.”

After centuries of “malicious lies” about Jewish people, Netanyahu said the same lies were now being leveled at the Jewish state.

Some background: The conflict in Gaza sparked protests across the United States, in particular on college campuses, where some Americans expressed horror at the scale of civilian casualties caused by Israel as it attempts to stamp out Hamas, which carried out the October 7 attack on southern Israel. Read more here about why the protests were so complex.

The post was updated with background on the protests.

Israeli Prime Minister Benajmin Netanyahu criticized anti-war and pro-Palestinian protesters, calling them “anti-Israel” and saying “they should be ashamed of themselves.”

“Clarity begins by knowing the difference between good and evil. Yet incredibly, many anti-Israel protesters, many choose to stand with evil,” he said. “They stand with Hamas. They stand with rapists and murderers. They stand with people who came into the kibbutzim, into a home.”

“They refuse to make the simple distinction between those who target terrorists and those who target civilians, between the democratic state of Israel and the terrorist thugs of Hamas,” Netanyahu said.

Remember: Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel left 1,200 people dead and another 250 taken hostage. Israeli strikes in Gaza have since killed 39,090 Palestinians and injured another 90,147, according to the Ministry of Health there. CNN cannot independently verify the figures from Gazan authorities.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a pledge to what he called “all the bereaved families of Israel,” promising, “the sacrifice of your loved ones will not be in vain.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called anti-war protesters “Iran’s useful idiots” during his speech before Congress on Wednesday.

“For all we know, Iran is funding the anti-Israel protests that are going on right now outside this building,” he said. “Not that many, but they’re there and throughout the city.”

Netanyahu referenced a recent statement from US Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines that Iran is attempting to covertly stoke protests in the United States related to the conflict in Gaza.

In her statement, Haines said she wanted “to be clear that I know Americans who participate in protests are, in good faith, expressing their views on the conflict in Gaza,” adding that “this intelligence does not indicate otherwise.”

Netanyahu however, painted the protestors with a broad brush, claiming that they “stand with Hamas” and “stand with rapists and murderers.”

The post was updated with more of Netanyahu’s remarks.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recognized several Israel Defense Force service members who are in attendance for his speech before Congress.

Netanyahu asked them to stand as he noted their accomplishments. They were met with applause from the audience.

“My friends, these are the soldiers of Israel — unbowed, undaunted, unafraid,” he said.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that “like December 7, 1941 and September 11, 2001, October 7 is a day that will forever live in infamy,” echoing the words of US President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s “Day of Infamy” speech to Congress after the attack on Pearl Harbor.

In his address to Congress, the Israeli prime minister said that October 7 “began as a perfect day, not a cloud in the sky.”

President Joe Biden, in his own speech after the Hamas attack, also compared it to 9/11, but urged the Israeli government to not repeat the mistakes the US made after that terrorist attack.

“Since this terrorist attack — terrorist attack took place, we have seen it described as Israel’s 9/11. But for a nation the size of Israel, it was like 15 9/11s,” Biden said in October 2023.

“Shock, pain, rage — an all-consuming rage. I understand, and many Americans understand,” he said. “But I caution this: While you feel that rage, don’t be consumed by it.”

“After 9/11, we were enraged in the United States. And while we sought justice and got justice, we also made mistakes,” Biden added.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Israel Defense Forces and talked about the story of one solider whose father is in the gallery.

The solider’s father, Netanyahu said, escaped the Holocaust and found refuge in America. He then moved to Israel as a young man and went on to raise eight children. One of his children became an “exemplary officer in one of our elite commander units.”

He was a decorated solider who volunteered to return to combat on October 7. He was killed four weeks later.

“I pledge to you — and all the bereaved families of Israel, some of whom are in this hall today — the sacrifice of your loved ones will not be in vain,” Netanyahu said.

Rescued Israeli hostage Noa Argamani is in the gallery as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses Congress.

Netanyahu praised the efforts that led to hostages being freed, including Argamani.

“One of those freed hostages, Noa Argamani, is here in the gallery, sitting near my wife Sara,” Netanyahu said. Members of Congress applauded and gave a standing ovation for Argamani.

Netanyahu spoke about Argamani’s abduction and the pleas from her mother, who has late-stage cancer, to bring her home.

“Noa, we’re so thrilled to have you with us today,” Netanyahu said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses a joint meeting of Congress in the chamber of the House of Representatives at the U.S. Capitol on July 24, 2024 in Washington, DC. 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu began his address to Congress by attacking Iran right at the top of his speech, a marked difference from his 2015 address.

In 2015, it took Netanyahu quite some time to mention Iran. Instead, he began by talking about everything the US — and then President Barack Obama — has done for Israel, including during the 2014 war.

Then he turned to Iran, and more specifically, the goal of his speech — to attack the Iran nuclear deal being pursued by the Obama administration.

“My friends, I’ve come here today because, as prime minister of Israel, I feel a profound obligation to speak to you about an issue that could well threaten the survival of my country and the future of my people: Iran’s quest for nuclear weapons,” Netanyahu said in 2015.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked US President Joe Biden for “half a century of friendship to Israel.”

“President Biden and I have known each other for over 40 years. I want to thank him for half a century of friendship to Israel and being, as he says, a proud zionist. Actually he says, a proud Irish American zionist,” Netanyahu said.

Netanyahu also thanked Biden for his “tireless efforts on behalf of hostages and his efforts to the hostages families.”

“I thank President Biden for his heart-felt support for Israel. After the savage attack on October 7, he rightly called Hamas ‘sheer evil.’ He dispatched two aircraft carriers to the Middle East to deter a wider war, and he came to Israel to stand with us during our darkest hour, a visit that will never be forgotten,” Netanyahu said.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to bring back the hostages seized by Hamas during the October 7 attack on Israel.

He said that as he was speaking, Israel was “actively engaged in intensive efforts to secure their release.”

He added: “I’m confident that these efforts can succeed.”

A number of House progressive Democrats are attending a counter-programming event on Capitol Hill instead of attending Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech, as CNN previously reported.

At least eight House Democrats are in attendance so far including Reps. Jim Clyburn, Pramila Jayapal and Jim McGovern. 

Both Jayapal and McGovern spoke briefly and now the lawmakers are listening to the panel discussion, which includes Israeli and Palestinian peace activists and an Israeli army veteran. 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses a joint meeting of Congress in the chamber of the House of Representatives at the U.S. Capitol on July 24 in Washington, DC.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday that Israel’s war in Gaza is “not a clash of civilizations. It’s clash between barbarism and civilization.”

“It’s a clash between those who glorify death and those who sanctify life,” he said in his remarks to Congress.

Opening his remarks, Netanyahu said, “We meet today at a crossroads of history. Our world is in upheaval.”

He urged America to stand with Israel.

“For the forces of civilization to triumph, America and Israel must stand together. Because when we stand together, something very simple happens: We win, they lose,” he said.

He noted that it’s his fourth such address to the US Congress.

Here’s what lawmakers were doing when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived to the House chamber to deliver remarks this afternoon:

The attack on Israel on Oct 7, 2023, was the equivalent of “20 9/11’s in one day” based on population size, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday.

Israel’s Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu.

Israel’s Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu walked in to give his speech to Congress. He was met with roaring applause from audience members.

Police responding to protesters near the US Capitol who used pepper spray and a flash-bang explosive devices Wednesday, shortly before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech at Congress, according to a CNN crew on the scene. 

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators were involved in a confrontation with officers as they attempted to march beyond a police barrier at Constitution Avenue.

“Part of the crowd has started to become violent at First Street and Constitution Avenue, NW,” Capitol Police said on X. “The crowd failed to obey our order to move back from our police line. We are deploying pepper spray towards anyone trying to break the law and cross that line.”

After several minutes of tension, many protesters moved away from the barrier and continued their march and chanting.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with Qatari Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani Wednesday to discuss the continuing negotiations for a ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel, according to a spokesperson. 

According to Miller, Blinken also said the US is ready “to work to ensure that the deal turns into an end to the war, and lasting peace and stability for the region.”

Blinken’s conversation with Al Thani comes as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is on a controversial visit to Washington, DC, and is set to address Congress soon. It also comes about a week after the US, Israel and the United Arab Emirates met to discuss day-after plans for Gaza.  

US and Israeli officials are voicing increased optimism about the prospects of a deal, and the loved ones of hostages being held by Hamas say that must take the deal on the table.

On Monday, President Joe Biden said he believed the different parties were on the “verge of being able to” secure a deal to bring home the hostages and end the war. Blinken said Friday that they are “inside the 10-yard line and driving toward the goal line in getting an agreement that would produce a ceasefire, get the hostages home, and put us on a better track to trying to build lasting peace and stability.” 

US officials insist that Israel and Hamas have both agreed to the broad framework of a deal, but specifics and crucial technicalities need to be hammered out.

Ahead of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to Congress, here’s what CNN reporters are seeing in the House Chamber.

Elon Musk is sitting in Netanyahu’s box in the upstairs gallery. 

Former White House chief of staff and ex-Rep. Mark Meadows, who is battling criminal charges, is sitting in the House chamber on the floor near House Freedom Caucus members.

Rep. Rashida Tlaib, the lone Palestinian-American congresswoman, and fierce Netanyahu critic, is in the audience, sitting toward the front.

Some Democrats are sporting yellow pins. These pins were given out at an event on the Hill earlier today featuring hostage families.

CNN’s Manu Raju is inside the chamber for today’s speech. 

The Secret Service is investigating reports that protestors gained access to the hotel building where Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is staying in Washington, DC, released bugs in the hotel and pulled fire alarms, according to a source familiar with the matter. 

There were no threats to Secret Service protectees, which include Netanyahu, a spokesperson with the Public Safety Joint Information Center told CNN.

According to two sources familiar with the security plans, the conference room where one protest group claims they released bugs was not part of the area secured for Netanyahu’s visit by federal, Israeli or local security services. 

A pro-Palestinian group posted a video, they claim, is of the bugs released at the Watergate Hotel where Netanyahu is staying. 

The fire alarms, which were pulled Tuesday night, were quickly disabled, CNN is told, because an official with the DC Fire Department was at the hotel for Netanyahu’s visit. 

The Israeli Embassy in Washington declined to comment, and the Secret Service did not respond to CNN’s questions.

CNN’s Alex Marquardt contributed to this report.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will address Congress at 2 p.m. ET, per the Office of the Speaker of the House.

We’ll bring you the latest updates as we get them right here.

Yehuda Cohen, father of Israeli hostage Nimrod Cohen, traveled from Israel to Washington, DC, ahead of Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to Congress. He has a clear message for the Israeli Prime Minister: “Sign a deal and go to hell.”

His son, a soldier with the Israel Defense Forces, was kidnapped with his team while trying to protect the border on October 7.

“We are asking, hoping, shouting – help us to bring the deal. And why we are here now in particular. Netanyahu’s here. And we are here to remind him – ‘we’ll never let you go until you sign a deal,’” he told  CNN’s Miguel Marquez.

He claimed Netanyahu is working for “personal interest,” and he wants to avoid the “criminal” corruption trial he is facing at home.

He said he has received ”sign of life from IDF intelligence. A sign of life – that’s what they called it.”

President Bill Clinton meets with Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel in 1996.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been weaving in and out of US politics for decades.

When the Israeli prime minister addresses a joint session of Congress today, it will be his fourth such appearance since 1996, more than any other foreign leader in history and the same number of addresses to Congress a US president gives during one term.

Netanyahu has known President Joe Biden for decades, but Biden doubts Netanyahu’s sincerity. The Israeli leader is still trying to regain the trust of former President Donald Trump, who he offended after the 2020 election.

Netanyahu earned the undying enmity of former President Barack Obama for trying to tank the Iran nuclear deal. He was close personal friends with Mitt Romney, Obama’s challenger in 2012 and now a US senator, from the time when Romney and Netanyahu worked for the same US-based company in the 1970s.

Former President Bill Clinton exploded after his first meeting with Netanyahu in 1996, telling aides, “Who’s the f**king superpower here?” according to the former Middle East negotiator Aaron David Miller.

In 2015, the last time Netanyahu addressed Congress, it was a rousing and partisan affair, bringing members of Congress to their feet and turning public opinion against the fragile multi-country deal meant to give Iran access to oil money in exchange for controlling its nuclear program.

Also, Netanyahu crossed Obama by interfering in US politics on US soil. Then-Vice President Biden, along with 58 members of Congress, skipped the 2015 speech even though Biden was, at the time, president of the US Senate.

Read more about the prime minister’s history here.

Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib, the only Palestinian American member of Congress, announced that she will be in the chamber today for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech and will bring a guest.

Tlaib said her guest has lost over 150 members of his extended family as a result of the war in Gaza and started a soup kitchen to feed people who were starving. 

Sen. Chuck Schumer speaks from the Senate floor on Wednesday.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer promised to relay the message from the families of hostages taken captive by Hamas on October 7 to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, he said during a Wednesday speech on the Senate floor.

Schumer will meet with Netanyahu later today as part of a bicameral meeting with other congressional leaders.

The New York Democrat was once a member of a bipartisan group of congressional leadership who invited Netanyahu to address Congress. He defended his decision to ultimately attend Netanyahu’s address, saying:

Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas attends an event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in April.

Former President Donald Trump shared a letter on his social media platform from Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, sent after the assassination attempt on the 2024 Republican presidential nominee.

Trump posted the letter Tuesday night, three days before he is set to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

In the same post, Trump shared a letter from Abbas dated July 14 offering well wishes. 

Trump thanked the Palestinian leader for the letter saying, “everything will be good.” 

Trump is expected to meet with Netanyahu at Mar-a-Lago on Friday. The meeting, Trump said in an interview Tuesday night, was requested by the Israeli Prime Minister.

All Yael and Adil Alexander want is to have their son, Edan, home with them — and they’re hoping Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says during his speech to Congress that a deal is coming soon to make that happen.

Edan, 20, an Israeli American, graduated from a New Jersey high school in 2022 and was waiting to attend college, but he first went to volunteer in Israel and serve in the Israel Defense Forces when he was kidnapped.

The couple said that’s their motivation for coming to Washington, DC, to hear Netanyahu’s speech — and “if he’s not going to bring it up, the hostages and the deal,” for them, “it’s a complete failure.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson shake hands before speaking to reporters before a meeting at the U.S. Capitol Building on July 24, 2024 in Washington, DC.

House Speaker Mike Johnson welcomed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the Capitol Wednesday, calling it “a very important time” for the Israeli leader’s visit.

“This is a very important time,” Johnson said. “Our bipartisan congressional leadership recognized it as such and invited him here.”

In similarly brief remarks, Netanyahu praised Johnson, saying, “You have shown big leadership, along with the leaders of the Senate and the Minority leader in the House.”

Neither Johnson nor Netanyahu responded to questions shouted about members boycotting the address.

A humanitarian official warned Wednesday that “while the world focuses on Prime Minister Netanyahu’s visit to DC, the humanitarian situation in Gaza is in a nosedive.”

“In the past 2.5 months, we could have reached 127,000 people with life-saving aid if not for these paralyzing access constraints,” she added.

Besides a looming famine and diseases, there’s also a “threat of a polio outbreak,” she said, with countless lives are at risk to the disease after virus was detected in sewage samples.

While Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with US leaders on Capitol Hill, Ifat Kalderon, whose cousin is being held by Hamas, protested Netanyahu’s presence in Washington.

Kalderon traveled from Tel Aviv to protest his speech to Congress.

Rep. Andre Carson speaks during a press conference outside the US Capitol in Washington, DC, May 18, 2023. 

Democratic Rep. Andre Carson, one of the few Muslim members of Congress, told CNN’s Manu Raju that he will not attend Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech today. 

“Given the critical times we’re in, it is important that the United States of America address the situation that is happening right now in Gaza,” he said.

He dismissed GOP criticisms of Vice President Kamala Harris’ refusal to preside over the address as “political theater.” Harris is speaking at what an aide described as a “previously scheduled event” in Indianapolis, where she’s addressing the Zeta Phi Beta sorority.

Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk told reporters that he is a guest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and will be attending his speech to Congress today.

Musk left House Speaker Mike Johnson’s office saying he had a “great meeting” but did not specify who he met with. CNN has reached out to Johnson’s office.

Dozens of members of Democrats are expected to skip Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to Congress on Wednesday afternoon. Some are boycotting, others are attending a series of counter-programming events, and several cited scheduling conflicts as the reason.

The last time Netanyahu address Congress on March 3, 2015, the situation was much the same. A total of 58 members of Congress skipped his speech, including then-Vice President Joe Biden, who chose not to preside over the address in much the same way that Vice President Kamala Harris will not preside over this one. 

At the time, Netanyahu’s speech to Congress was exactly two weeks before elections in Israel, and his address included withering criticism of the Iran nuclear deal, which was viewed as an overt political attack on then-President Barack Obama.

Now as then, Netanyahu is facing criticism for turning this address into a political exercise with his own self-interest in mind. 

A group of senior Israeli figures, including former security officials, prominent business leaders, and academics, wrote a joint letter to congressional leaders, saying, “Netanyahu has lost the support of the Israeli people and is trying to shore up his domestic coalition through a show of force in the United States.”

People walk along a street covered with stagnant wastewater in Deir el-Balah, Gaza, on Friday.

The World Health Organization (WHO) is “extremely worried” about the risk of polio outbreaks in the Gaza Strip due to the dire sanitation situation in the enclave. 

“It may spill over internationally at a very high point.”

Traces of the highly infectious polio virus were found in sewage in Gaza last month, putting thousands of Palestinians at risk of contracting a disease that can cause paralysis. The WHO said last week no “paralytic cases” had been detected yet, but added residents must now “contend with the threat” posed by the disease.

With other diseases such as Hepatitis A also found in the enclave, Saparbekov warned of a “very bad situation” facing Gaza, compounded by a crippled health system, lack of water and sanitation, and a lack of access to primary healthcare services. 

The WHO will work with partners to complete an epidemiological investigation and risk assessment by the end of the week, Saparbekov outlined. 

Following the results of the investigation, the WHO will consolidate a set of recommendations, including the need for the mass vaccination campaign, he added. 

However, primary health care services in Gaza are “critical,” with Saparbekov warning services that provide vaccination and child health services are “basically not functioning as it used to function before.” 

On Sunday, the Israeli military said it had begun vaccinating troops operating in some parts of Gaza against polio, while working with international organizations to bring additional vaccines into the Gaza Strip.

Sen. Chris Coons speaks during a news conference in November.

Delaware Sen. Chris Coons, a close ally of President Joe Biden, will be attending Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s congressional address today, his spokesperson said. 

Coons has long been a supporter of Israel, but he has also warned Netanyahu in recent months that he needs to consider his legacy when it comes to the US-Israel relationship. 

Coons — citing Netanyahu’s history of being a divisive politician — also said that he would like to see Netanyahu speak to Congress about his plan for peace.  

A sign with a photo of 19-year-old hostage Agam Berger is seen as protesters and family members of Israelis held hostage by Hamas hold a rally outside of the US Capitol on the National Mall on Tuesday.

Many of the family members who will be attending Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to a joint meeting of Congress huddled inside a Washington, DC, hotel Tuesday evening to brainstorm what to do inside the chamber while the leader is speaking, family members told CNN.

But they haven’t finalized a plan.

The families, many of whom have traveled from Israel to the US for the speech, are walking a fine line: They don’t want to sit back and let Netanyahu take the stage without challenging him, but they also don’t want to be seen as ungrateful to American lawmakers who have advocated for a deal.

The families are considering making a joint gesture with their hands or doing something with matching yellow shirts, they said, and have encouraged members of Congress to wear yellow ribbons and dog tags to show solidarity with the hostages. 

Most of the families are not considering yelling or anything that could completely upend the address, they said. Part of their calculation is the thinking that Republican members of Congress could be critical in urging Netanyahu to accept a deal, and they don’t want to offend them.

Not all of the family members will attend the address. Dozens will be inside the chamber, while others plan to take part in protests outside.

Families of Israeli hostages hold Israel's national flags and portraits of hostages as they gather at the National Mall in Washington, DC, on Wednesday.

A group of senior House Democrats hosted a meeting Wednesday with family members of hostages who were abducted by Hamas during their assault on October 7.

Democratic Reps. Jamie Raskin, Jim Clyburn, Rosa DeLauro, Jim McGovern, Mark Takano, Sara Jacobs, Barbara Lee and others were in attendance.

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was also in attendance; she read a poem entitled “I Have No Other Country” and thanked the families for their determination in advocating for the hostages’ release.

Three family members of hostages spoke at the meeting, all of whom implored Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to secure a deal with Hamas that would release the hostages.

As Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promises to strike a bipartisan tone, members of his coalition are pushing him to the far right.

Before departing for Washington and a record fourth address to Congress, Netanyahu said he will speak to “both sides of the fence” about “the importance of bipartisan support for Israel.”

But back home, far-right Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir openly declared a major change at one of Jerusalem’s holiest and most sensitive sites. Ben Gvir said Jewish prayer was allowed at the Temple Mount, a blatant violation of the delicate status quo agreement that governs the al-Aqsa compound in the Old City of Jerusalem. Ben Gvir openly prayed there last week, defying the status quo and urging Netanyahu not to accept what he called a “reckless” ceasefire deal.

Ben Gvir’s declaration, coming just hours before Netanyahu’s speech, prompted a quick response from the Prime Minister’s Office. “Israel’s policy of maintaining the status-quo on the Temple Mount has not changed and will not change,” the statement sad.

But Ben Gvir wasn’t done.

In an interview with Bloomberg News, Ben Gvir endorsed Donald Trump for President, slamming Biden in the process.

“A cabinet minister is supposed to maintain neutrality, but that’s impossible to do after Biden,” he said in the interview.

And it’s not just the fringes of Netanyahu’s coalition putting pressure on the Israeli leader.

Nissim Vaturi, the deputy speaker of the Knesset and a member of Netanyahu’s Likud party, posted a picture on social media on Tuesday showing a map of Israeli settlements in Gaza. The map was labeled “Settlements bring security,” and Vaturi’s post said, “this is what total victory looks like.” 

Nearly 50 members of Congress will not attend Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech on Wednesday, according to a CNN count.

By CNN’s count, there are 39 named House members not attending and nine named Senators not attending. CNN has reported that Democratic leadership estimates more than 80 House Democrats will boycott the speech.

Senate Foreign Relations Chair Ben Cardin will preside over Netanyahu’s address after both Vice President Kamala Harris and Patty Murray declined. Many Democrats in both the House and Senate have said they won’t attend Netanyahu’s speech.

This morning former Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced she will not attend and instead will meet with hostage families.

Among those who are boycotting are Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Sen. Dick Durban, Sen. Bernie Sanders, Rep. Jan Schakowsky, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rep. Jim Clyburn and Rep. Ilhan Omar.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s fourth address to Congress breaks a longstanding tie with British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. Prior to Wednesday’s speech, Netanyahu and Churchill were the only foreign leaders to have addressed Congress three times.

During Netanyahu’s last speech to Congress in 2015, then-House Speaker John Boehner gave Netanyahu a bust of Churchill as a gift.

Netanyahu’s fourth speech means he will have addressed Congress more than any other foreign leader in history. 

Israel’s longest serving leader is an admirer of Churchill. 

He has quoted Churchill before and even compared himself to England’s leader in World War II. When the International Criminal Court (ICC) announced it was seeking an arrest warrant for Netanyahu, as well as for the leaders of Hamas, the prime minister told CNN’s Jake Tapper, “That’s like saying that, well, I’m issuing arrest warrants for FDR, Churchill, but also for Hitler.”

In a 2014 picture with then-US Secretary of State John Kerry, a book about Churchill’s view on Zionism and Israel, Michael Makovsky’s “Churchill’s Promised Land” is visible on the bookshelf.

Protesters and family members of Israelis being held hostage by Hamas hold a rally on the National Mall in Washington, DC, on Tuesday.

The Hostages Families Forum has urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to open his remarks to the US Congress today with the words: “There’s a deal.”

Without those words “there will be neither victory nor revival,” the forum said. 

The forum said 120 hostages “are waiting for the government to take decisive and necessary action: sign a deal to return the living for rehabilitation and bring the murdered and fallen home for proper burial in their homeland.” 

Many of the hostages’ families have criticized Netanyahu’s trip to Washington DC – saying he should have remained at home to secure a deal.

Yair Golan, head of the opposition Labor party in Israel, said Tuesday that “Netanyahu went to the US for an extravagant show, in the middle of the war, without a deal to return 120 hostages, abandoning tens of thousands of internally displaced,” in northern Israel.

Netanyahu is not due back in Israel until Saturday, after a meeting with Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump in Florida on Friday.

Demonstrators chant and protest near the Capitol in Washington, DC, on Wednesday.

Tensions are high among crowds of protesters who are gathering outside the White House to send a message to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of his speech to Congress Wednesday: They don’t want him here, and they’re not pleased he was invited.

With security ramped up, people from many coalitions with a variety of messages are making speeches, carrying signs and waving flags.

Israeli and Jewish American protesters are also set up between Union Station and the National Mall, several blocks away from the Pro-Palestinian protesters with similar messaging for Netanyahu.

A demonstrator protesting near the Capitol is seen on Wednesday.

There was a scuffle between protesters, but it ended quickly. Police are now attempting to keep the two groups from engaging with each other, and Palestinian marches have continued on to the mall.

CNN’s Miguel Marquez and Yon Pomrenze contributed reporting to this post.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses a joint meeting of the United States Congress in 2015.

The last time Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed Congress in 2015, he also did so at the invitation of a Republican House speaker, and the Democratic vice president was not in attendance.

That vice president was now-President Joe Biden, whose Vice President Kamala Harris won’t be attending this speech either.

We’re watching closely to see how much Netanyahu takes shots at this administration, which would echo his 2015 speech. In those remarks, the Israeli prime minister blasted the outreach to Iran that President Barack Obama’s administration was undertaking to strike a nuclear deal. Obama and Biden were none too pleased, and it undoubtedly worsened the US-Israeli relationship.

Now, attacking or slighting the White House could help Netanyahu shore up support and his coalition at home. Last month, we saw Netanyahu take aim, in a video in English, at the Biden administration by accusing them of holding up weapons shipments. That infuriated the White House.

US national security adviser Jake Sullivan said Friday that the administration believes the speech today “will be one that doesn’t look like 2015” and anticipates “in pretty specific terms what he intends to say.”

Sullivan also acknowledged Netanyahu will be working on his remarks until the last minute. So like us, they will be paying close attention.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will address Congress on Wednesday – seeking to shore up American support for his war in Gaza and redirect the attention of a nation that has been preoccupied for weeks by a stream of domestic political issues.

Netanyahu’s address to Congress comes at a crucial crossroads for the war. US officials have voiced optimism about the prospects of a deal that could free Hamas-held hostages and bring the conflict to an end.

Meanwhile, the bulk of the nation’s attention has been focused since last month on discussions surrounding President Joe Biden’s age and mental abilities – which eventually culminated in Biden announcing over the weekend that he would step down from the Democratic ticket – along with the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump and the Republican National Convention.

It also comes as many on the left have become increasingly dissatisfied with the way Netanyahu has waged the war, which has killed more than 39,000 Palestinians and left Gaza in the grips of a humanitarian catastrophe.

Some members of Congress have said they will not attend Netanyahu’s speech, either as a protest of the war or due to previously scheduled events.

Vice President Kamala Harris declined to preside over Netanyahu’s address due to a previously scheduled event but will meet on Thursday.

People flee from parts of Khan Younis on Monday following an evacuation order by the Israeli army.

Thousands of Palestinians have been forced to flee after Israel launched a fresh ground assault against what it said were Hamas targets in the southern Gazan city of Khan Younis, with the death toll rising.

The Israel Defense Forces announced Monday that it was reducing the size of its so-called “humanitarian zone,” ordering Palestinians to evacuate from eastern neighborhoods of Khan Younis due to intelligence that Hamas had embedded in the area.

CNN witnessed exhausted and angry Palestinians fleeing Khan Younis, once Gaza’s second-biggest city. As they left, they expressed anger not only at Israel but at Hamas and even other Arab states.

The ground incursion in Khan Younis follows similar operations in Shujayah in the north and parts of central Gaza, where military units said they had reentered areas to prevent Hamas from reestablishing a presence.

A journalist working for CNN in Khan Younis filmed video Monday of thousands of people – many on foot or with donkey carts – carrying mattresses and their belongings. Most were women and children.

One woman carrying a box screamed to the camera:

A few people expressed anger toward Arab states for not doing more to help. Um Hazem Sammoun, walking with her children, asked:

Some of the evacuees even criticized Hamas. One woman told CNN:

Israeli Minister Benny Gantz addresses the media in Ramat Gan, Israel, in June.

Hours before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks to Congress, a former member of his war cabinet has accused him of delaying progress on a deal that would secure the release of the hostages still held in Gaza.

Benny Gantz, leader of the National Unity party, accused Netanyahu of waiting for the current session of Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, to end before taking action.

“The outline for the return of the hostages that we drew up has already been accepted — the fact that they are waiting for the Knesset break to promote it is proof that political considerations have penetrated the holy of holies of Israel’s security,” Gantz said.

That outline, first drawn up in May, “should be implemented in a short period of time.” Gantz said. He resigned from the war cabinet in June.

Gantz also alleged that the Israeli negotiating delegation has been waiting without instructions for over a week.

A group of officers from the New York Police Department have been sworn in as special officers to support law enforcement in Washington, DC, as they prepare for the possibility of large protest crowds on Capitol Hill ahead of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech before a joint meeting of Congress Wednesday afternoon. 

Additional security measures, such as barricades, have been deployed around the Capitol building and the Watergate Hotel, where Netanyahu will be staying. 

Around 200 protesters with Jewish Voice for Peace were arrested during a sit-in in at the Capitol Hill office building rotunda Tuesday, according to US Capitol Police. The group gathered to demand the US end weapons shipments to Israel and called for a ceasefire in the ongoing war in Gaza.

Demonstrations are permitted on certain areas of the Capitol grounds, but only with a permit, according to US Capitol Police.

Fencing has been put up around the White House Wednesday ahead of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit, footage from CNN shows.

Netanyahu is scheduled to visit the White House Thursday, where he’ll meet with President Joe Biden before the two leaders speak with the families of American hostages still held in Gaza.

There have been sporadic, but loud, protests outside the White House from demonstrators protesting the administration’s support for Israel in Gaza for months.

People flee the eastern part of Khan Younis in Gaza on Monday.

The United Nations estimates that about 150,000 people fled Khan Younis in southern Gaza on Monday alone, following evacuation orders issued by the Israeli military, intensifying pressure on meager food, water and shelter.

The additional displacement has aggravated the already difficult task of getting aid distributed to much of Gaza and has led to a surge in infectious diseases, according to health officials.

Aid agencies working in Gaza say that about one-quarter of the fuel needed to sustain their operations is entering the territory. The latest update from the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) says that in the first three weeks of this month, just over 2.1 million liters of fuel entered Gaza. On average, this is about 103,000 liters of fuel per day, or a quarter of the 400,000 liters of fuel required to reach people in need. 

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), fuel shortages “continue to undermine humanitarian operations and jeopardize the functioning of health, water, and food production facilities” needed to sustain aid activities.

The UN says that compared with June, when almost 1,300 trucks entered the battered enclave, July’s total so far is only 674. The nongovernmental organization American Near East Refugee Aid reported earlier this week that “slow and inadequate delivery of humanitarian aid into Gaza is creating desperation among the people, leading to lawlessness.”

A number of Democratic lawmakers are planning to participate in a series of counter-programming events on Wednesday instead of attending Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to Congress. It’s the latest example of how Democrats remain divided over Israel’s handling of its war with Hamas.

At the same time Netanyahu is expected to address Congress, a variety of progressive nonprofit groups are hosting an event in the Capitol that multiple Democratic lawmakers are expected to attend, according to an invitation shared with CNN.

The event, “Peace is Possible: An Alternative Vision for Israel and Palestine,” will feature Israeli and Palestinian peace leaders and is hosted by groups like the Center for American Progress and Middle East Democracy Center.

Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal, a Washington state Democrat, is expected to deliver opening remarks at the event, according to an advisory shared with CNN.

Meanwhile, Democratic Reps. Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts and Greg Casar of Texas will host a Zoom news conference with a coalition of progressives to try and pressure the Biden administration and Congress to adopt an arms embargo against Israel as activists argue that supplying weapons to Israel creates human rights violations.

Separately, senior House Democrats including Reps. Jim Clyburn of South Carolina, Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut and Jamie Raskin of Maryland will meet with the families of Israeli hostages who were kidnapped during the October 7 Hamas terror attack.

Approximately 80 House Democrats and at least six Democratic senators are expected to skip Netanyahu’s speech on Wednesday, according to sources and public statements reviewed by CNN. House Democratic leadership has given their members room to make their own decisions about whether to attend the speech.

Read more on planned counter-programming here

Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Ben Cardin will preside over Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address after both Vice President Kamala Harris and President Pro Tempore of the Senate Patty Murray declined.

Many Democrats in both the House and Senate have said they won’t attend Netanyahu’s speech, while others are planning on counter-programming the speech.

Among those who are boycotting are Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Sen. Dick Durban, Sen. Bernie Sanders, Rep. Jan Shakowsky, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rep. Jim Clyburn and Rep. Ilhan Omar.

Protesters are seen outside the Washington Hebrew Congregation on Wednesday.

A very small group of protesters chanted outside the Washington Hebrew Congregation Wednesday morning as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prepared to attend a memorial service for former United States Sen. Joe Lieberman, a staunch ally of Israel, who died in March at the age of 82.

The protesters wore T-shirts that said, “Jews say stop arming Israel.” 

The service is the first major event in a full day for Netanyahu while in the US capital, including a speech before a joint meeting of Congress.

A small motorcade including police with lights flashing was seen entering the security cordon near the synagogue, but police would not confirm whether Netanyahu was inside.

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will skip Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to Congress Wednesday. 

“Speaker Pelosi will not be attending today’s Joint Meeting of Congress,” Pelosi’s spokesperson Ian Krager said.

Vice President Kamala Harris arrives at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland to board Air Force Two on Wednesday.

Vice President Kamala Harris is planning to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday, a US official has told CNN.

The meeting is expected to take place after President Joe Biden’s sit-down with Netanyahu on Thursday afternoon, the official added. Harris is set to travel to Houston, Texas, to speak at an American Federation of Teachers convention on Thursday, and it’s unclear when she will return to the White House.

The meeting comes at a pivotal time in the Israel-Hamas conflict as US officials – including Biden – have expressed optimism about the prospects of a deal to bring the war to an end and return hostages to their families.

Harris’ expected sit down with Netanyahu will take place one day after he addresses Congress. The vice president will not preside in her constitutional role as president of the Senate during Netanyahu’s address. She is speaking at what an aide described as a “previously-scheduled event” in Indianapolis, Indiana, where she’s set to address Zeta Phi Beta sorority’s Grand Boulé at 12:45 p.m. ET.

An aide to Harris previously told CNN she is expected to “continue her intensive engagement on the conflict in Gaza,” noting that she is expected to underscore a commitment to ensuring Israel can defend itself, condemn Hamas’ attack on October 7, and reiterate concerns about the humanitarian situation in Gaza. 

US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pose for photos during a meeting in Tel Aviv in October.

US President Joe Biden will welcome Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the White House Thursday, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre formally announced Wednesday.

Following the meeting, Biden and Netanyahu will meet with the American families of hostages still held in Gaza. US Vice President Kamala Harris will also meet separately with Netanyahu Thursday.

A group of senior Israeli figures — including former national security officials, academics and business leaders — have sent US congressional leadership a blistering letter accusing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is set to speak to Congress today, of threatening Israeli and American national security.

The letter calls Netanyahu an “existential threat,” painting him as selfishly concerned with his political survival and singularly to blame for failing to defeat Hamas in the war in Gaza. It also highlights Netanyahu’s legal troubles, including the bribery and fraud charges against him.

The letter was sent on Tuesday morning to House Speaker Mike Johnson, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.

Among the more than 30 signatories are five former senior officials from the Mossad intelligence service, including retired director Tamir Pardo, two former heads of the Israeli military, and a list of other former military, security, diplomatic, legal, and business officials.

Nobel laureate for Chemistry Aaron Ciechanover is among them, as are two former presidents of Ben Gurion University: Avishay Braverman and Rivka Carmi. Billionaire entrepreneur Morris Kahn joins former pharmaceutical CEO Jeremy Levin among the business leaders.

Pardo, the former Mossad director, last month called on Congress to disinvite Netanyahu, calling the invitation a “terrible mistake.”

A similar letter – also signed by Pardo and others who signed Tuesday’s letter – was sent in January to Israel’s president and speaker of parliament, demanding that Netanyahu be removed from office.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a press conference in Tel Aviv in October.

US and Israeli officials are voicing increased optimism about the prospects of a ceasefire and hostage deal being agreed to end the war in Gaza, as the loved ones of hostages being held by Hamas say that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu must take the deal on offer.

Efforts to secure an agreement have been ongoing for months and picked up renewed momentum in late May after US President Joe Biden laid out the details of a plan to bring home the hostages and eventually bring about an end to the war.

Now, as the Israeli prime minister prepares to deliver a high-stakes speech to Congress on Wednesday and meet with Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday, US officials claim a final deal is within reach.

For the families of the hostages held more than nine months in Gaza, there is no time to wait.

US officials insist that Israel and Hamas have both agreed to the broad framework of a deal, but specifics and crucial technicalities need to be hammered out. Mediators from the US, Egypt and Qatar have been leading efforts to finalize those details.

The Israeli prime minister wants to meet with Biden before the Israeli delegation formally transmits its response to the mediators, the source said.

Read more about the negotiations.