Israeli Prime Minister speaks to Congress as protests erupt near Capitol Hill

WASHINGTON (AP) — Thousands of protesters are rallying within sight of the Capitol building, denouncing Israel’s war in Gaza and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who delivered an address to a joint session of Congress Wednesday afternoon.

More than 50 congressional Democrats were noticeably absent after announcing publicly that they would not be attending the speech in protest of the prime minister’s handling of the war.

Netanyahu addressed Congress in Washington as he sought to bolster U.S. support for his country's fight against Hamas and other Iran-backed armed groups.

Netanyahu has signaled that a cease-fire deal could be taking shape after nine months of war, but during his fiery speech to Congress, he vowed to press forward with Israel's war against Hamas until he achieves "total victory." Meanwhile, thousands of protesters gathered near the U.S. Capitol to denounce the war.

Protesters climbed the flagpoles outside Washington's Union Station on Wednesday afternoon and replaced the American flags with Palestinian flags.

A U.S. flag could be seen burning.

Dozens of officers wearing helmets and carrying riot shields walked in a line down a street outside Union Station, which is one of the nation's busiest railroad terminals. Protesters cheered as a fire burned what appeared to be a paper-mache likeness of Netanyahu.

Netanyahu called out the pro-Palestine protesters in his speech. "When the tyrants of Tehran, who hang gays from cranes and murder women for not covering their hair, are praising, promoting and funding you, you have officially become Iran's useful idiots," he said.

Also in his address to Congress, Netanyahu compares the Hamas attack of Oct. 7 to Pearl Harbor and 9/11: "October 7th is a day that will forever live in infamy."

Netanyahu said he is ready to press forward with Israel's war against Hamas until he achieves "total victory."

Netanyahu told Congress on Wednesday that he would agree to a cease-fire if Hamas surrenders, disarms and releases all hostages it is holding.

But he said Israel would continue to fight indefinitely until it destroys the group's military capabilities and brings home all hostages.

"Israel will fight until we destroy Hamas's military capabilities and its rule in Gaza and bring all our hostages home," he said. "That's what total victory means. And we will settle for nothing less."

Netanyahu lauded U.S.-Israeli unity and praised President Joe Biden.

"America and Israel must stand together. When we stand together something really simple happens: we win, they lose." said Netanyahu.

Freed former hostages of Hamas and families of hostages listened in the House chamber as Netanyahu spoke. Lawmakers of both parties rose repeatedly to applaud the Israeli leader, while security escorted out protesters in the gallery who rose to display T-shirts with slogans demanding that leaders close a deal for a cease-fire and the release of all hostages.

Police deployed pepper spray Wednesday as a large crowd protesting Israel's war in Gaza marched toward the U.S. Capitol, where Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's was speaking to Congress.

U.S. Capitol Police said in a post on X that some members of the crowd had become "violent" and had "failed to obey" orders to move back from the police line.

"We are deploying pepper spray toward anyone trying to break the law and cross that line," Capitol Police said.

Netanyahu received a standing ovation from both parties, with only a few Democrats seated while everyone else cheered for him. One of those Democrats was Rep. Rashida Tlaib, the only Palestinian-American in Congress.

Critics have said Netanyahu's vow of total victory is unrealistic, as Hamas has repeatedly regrouped in areas that the Israeli military has withdrawn from. U.S.-led cease-fire talks have dragged on for months without a breakthrough.

Palestinians displaced by the Israeli military's latest order to leave parts of the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis say they are sleeping in the streets. The Health Ministry in Gaza says over 39,100 Palestinians have been killed in the war.

Officials from Egypt, Israel, the United States and Qatar had been expected to meet in Doha on Thursday with the aim of resuming talks for a proposed three-phase cease-fire to end the war between Israel and Hamas and free the remaining hostages. But an Israeli official said Wednesday that Israel's negotiating team was delayed and would likely be dispatched next week.