Netanyahu seeks to bolster US support with Congress speech

Israel’s prime minister will address a joint session of the US Congress in a bid to bolster support for his country’s war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Benjamin Netanyahu was invited by the Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, whose Republican Party is trying to show unflinching support for Israel.

But more than 30 Democratic lawmakers have said they will not attend, including influential former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Mr Netanyahu arrived in the US on Monday. After addressing Congress on Wednesday, he will meet President Joe Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris, then have a separate meeting with Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump.

“Looking forward to welcoming Bibi Netanyahu at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida,” Mr Trump said in a post on Truth Social, using a common nickname for the Israeli prime minister.

Mr Netanyahu has said he would “present the truth about our just war” during his address to Congress, in what is his first trip to the US since the conflict with Hamas began.

Israel’s PM faces growing international and domestic pressure over his handling of the war, which started nearly 10 months ago.

In May, International Criminal Court Prosecutor Karim Khan applied for arrest warrants against Mr Netanyahu, Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant and three Hamas leaders for alleged crimes against humanity and war crimes. Both Israel and Hamas reacted with outrage to the move.

And last week, the International Court of Justice said Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories was “illegal” – a conclusion Israel rejected.

Thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters are also expected to descend on Washington for a “day of rage“.

Speaker Johnson has warned against protests inside the House of Representatives chamber, saying there would be arrests “if we have to do it”.

On Tuesday, about 200 Jewish American peace activists held a protest in the Capitol building complex.

Police eventually removed the protesters, who all wore red T-shirts proclaiming “Not in our name” and “Jews say stop arming Israel”.

More than 30 Democratic lawmakers have said they will skip Netanyahu’s speech.

Illinois Senator Dick Durban is among them. He said he stood by Israel, but would not stand and cheer its current leader.

Bernie Sanders, of Vermont, also said he would skip the speech in protest at the “total war” waged by Mr Netanyahu’s government in the Gaza Strip.

“His policies in Gaza and the West Bank and his refusal to support a two-state solution should be roundly condemned,” Mr Sanders said in a social media post.

Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen said: “It sends a terrible message to bring him here now to address a joint session of Congress.”

Israel launched a campaign in Gaza to destroy Hamas in response to an unprecedented attack on southern Israel on 7 October, during which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.

More than 39,000 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory’s health ministry, whose figures do not differentiate between civilians and combatants.

On Wednesday, the World Health Organization said it was “extremely worried” about the possibility of an outbreak of the highly infectious polio virus in Gaza after traces were found in wastewater.