Brandon Drenon
Reporting from Washington DC

Adam Abusalah flew into DC from Dearborn, Michigan, on Tuesday evening because he and other members of the Vote Uncommitted campaign said they were not going to "be silent while a war criminal walks freely inside the Capitol”.

Dearborn is the birthplace of the Vote Uncommitted movement that led to hundreds of thousands of votes being cast against Joe Biden during the primaries. Much of that opposition came from Democratic voting blocs angered by Biden's stance on the war in Gaza.

Now that Biden has stepped down, and Kamala Harris is the presumptive Democratic nominee for president, Abusalah says “I think there’s definitely room for conversation”.

“The Democrats have an opportunity here to unite a very fractured party," he says, adding that he would be watching in the coming weeks.

Abusalah says that Democrats have been “hypocritical” for calling for humanitarian aid in Gaza while sending bombs to Israel and inviting Netanyahu to the White House.

But he said he was optimistic about Harris resolving voters' concerns, recalling that she publicly called for a ceasefire before Biden.

The Israeli military has said its forces are continuing an operation in the southern city of Khan Younis, where at least six Palestinians are reported to have been killed.

The UN estimates that more than 150,000 people have been displaced since Monday, when Israel ordered the evacuation of eastern neighbourhoods that were part of its designated "humanitarian area".

The military said this morning that troops had "eliminated terrorists" and located "underground terror infrastructure" in the area, where it believes Hamas fighters have regrouped since an offensive earlier this year.

Image source, Reuters

Palestinian news agency Wafa reported that four people had been killed in an Israeli strike on a car in Jourat al-Loot, just south of the city centre.

Medics told Reuters news agency that another two people had been killed in a strike in Bani Suhaila, just to the east of Khan Younis, where Hamas said it had targeted an Israeli armoured vehicle.

Meanwhile, the spokesman of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas – a rival of Hamas who is based in the occupied West Bank – said it was "up to the US administration and Congress to seize it to halt the war" by putting pressure on the visiting Israeli prime minister.

Benjamin Netanyahu and President Joe Biden will discuss developments in Gaza and progress towards a ceasefire and hostage release deal when they meet tomorrow.

Biden will welcome the Israeli PM to the White House and further address the US "ironclad commitment to Israel’s security, including countering Iran’s threats to Israel and the broader region", according to White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.

Vice-President Kamala Harris will also meet with Netanyahu tomorrow.

Biden and Netanyahu will then meet with the families of Americans held hostage by Hamas.

Brandon Drenon
Reporting from Washington DC

A reference to Kendrick Lamar’s popular diss-track against Drake - Not Like Us - made its way into this crowd of protesters' chants.

Ahmad Abuznaid, one of the speakers on stage, told the crowd to repeat the phrase “they not like us” after his declarations.

Abuznaid then yelled into the mic: “They fight to kill, we fight to live!” “They not like us,” the crowd, now in the thousands, yelled back three times.

“They fight to colonise, we fight to liberate,” Abuznaid says.

Families of American hostages held in Gaza will attend Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech later today as guests of members of Congress.

They sent yellow ribbon pins and dog tags to all the members of Congress, which symbolise support for the hostages, asking them to be worn during the speech "to show solidarity and a firm commitment to securing the swift and total release of the hostages".

The families urged Congress to put pressure both on Netanyahu and world leaders to keep the focus on the hostages still captive, including the eight American citizens among them.

Protests have started growing near the Capitol ahead of Benjamin Netanyahu's speech to a joint session of the US Congress.

Hundreds of protesters have now gathered, waving signs and chanting slogans against Netanyahu and US President Joe Biden.

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

Image source, EPA

Image source, EPA

Brandon Drenon
Reporting from Washington DC

A group of a few dozen Jewish Rabbis have gathered here in solidarity with the pro-Palestinian protesters. Among them is Yehoshua Mensch.

Mensch believes Netanyahu’s speech is the Israeli prime minister “trying to show he speaks for all Jewish people, and he’s here to fight against antisemitism”.

“We’re here to say the opposite,” Mench says.

“He does not speak for us, and it’s because of Israel’s occupation that is causing a rise in antisemitism - not because of what Netanyahu says.”

This month, the International Court of Justice said that Israel’s occupation of Palestine was “illegal”.

Image source, Reuters

Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has defended his attendance at this afternoon’s address by the Israeli prime minister, saying the US’s relationship with Israel “transcends any prime minister or president”.

Speaking on the Senate floor this morning, Schumer said he will attend the speech “even though I disagree with many of Bibi Netanyahu’s policies”.

He added that the US’s relationship with Israel remains “ironclad”, and said he would convey a message from hostage families to the prime minister to “do all you can to bring the hostages home now”.

He also shared the stories of several people he met with yesterday, whose family members are being held captive by Hamas, saying: “I can only imagine what the last eight months have been like for these courageous souls, not knowing if their loved ones are alive."

“There is simply no time to waste with a deal within reach,” he added.

Image source, Getty Images

Former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi will not be present for Benjamin Netanyahu's address to Congress today.

A statement from her office said she will meet with Israeli people affected by the 7 October Hamas attack this morning.

As the former leader in the House, Pelosi still holds considerable sway with the Democratic Party. She was reportedly instrumental in persuading President Joe Biden to abandon his re-election bid, and has since offered her backing to Vice-President Kamala Harris.

Here's the full statement from Pelosi's spokesman:

“Speaker Pelosi will not be attending today’s Joint Meeting of Congress. This morning, she will join a Members meeting with Israeli citizens whose families have suffered in the wake of the October 7th Hamas terror attack and kidnappings.”

Brandon Drenon
Reporting from Washington DC

The street is uncharacteristically empty this morning on Pennsylvania Avenue, one of Washington DC’s main arteries that leads directly to the US Capitol.

Police trucks and barricades - rolled out as early as 06:00 - have ensured the usual morning traffic does not spill through.

There are a few hundred protesters out, only a sliver of the “tens of thousands” organisers said would be coming from across the country.

“Wanted" posters with Benjamin Netanyahu’s face are abound, as are the T-shirts that say “arrest Netanyahu”.

Pro-Palestinian organisers have promised “a day of rage”, hoping to project their anger through the walls of Congress nearby where Netanyahu - their proclaimed “number one enemy” - will soon speak.

Image source, Reuters

Benjamin Netanyahu faces both international and domestic pressure for his handling of the war in Gaza.

The International Court of Justice ruled last week that Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories was "illegal". Israel rejects the ruling.

The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court in May applied for arrest warrants for Netanyahu, as well as for multiple senior Hamas leaders, alleging war crimes on both sides.

Netanyahu condemned the application as "a complete distortion of reality".

Hamas, meanwhile, accused the prosecutor of trying to "equate the victim with the executioner".

Polling by Israel's Channel 12 says that 72% of Israelis think Netanyahu should resign over security lapses on 7 October and the failure to free hostages that still remain in the hands of Hamas.

Brandon Drenon
Reporting from Washington DC

Thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters will descend on Washington for a "day of rage" over the war in Gaza, organisers have warned.

Ahmad Abuznaid, executive director of the US Campaign for Palestinian Rights and a chief organiser, said protesters would "make the statement that war criminals like Netanyahu are not welcome" in the United States.

Reem Assil, a member of the Arab Resource and Organizing Center, said she was travelling from California to protest against the the deaths of family members and other civilians in the "mass slaughter" in Gaza.

"The idea of the man responsible for these atrocities being allowed to come here, channels my rage," she said.

"I've lost over 40 members of my family and work through grief every day to remain committed to showing up for my people. This is a huge moment.”

Jinan Deena, a Palestinian-American from the Washington area, said she and others were "gearing up for a day of rage" against Netanyahu's visit.

"To know [Netanyahu] is going to be sharing air with us in our own city... it's like a slap in the face," she said.

Barbara Tasch
Live reporter

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech to a joint session of the US Congress.

Netanyahu, who was invited by Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson, is on his first trip outside Israel since the conflict began,

He is expected to try and bolster bipartisan support for Israel as he faces increasing pressure for his handling of the war.

The speech, which comes after close to nine months of war in Gaza during which more than 39,000 people have been killed, is expected to be met by "day of rage" from protesters in Washington DC.

American families of hostages still held in Gaza will attend the speech and have asked Congress to keep the focus on their release.

Stay with us as we bring you the latest lines from the Congress and the protests outside, as well as analysis of the situation.