Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will address the US Congress on June 13.
Washington:
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will address the US Congress on June 13, media reported on Monday, amid mounting pressure on the US ally and Hamas to agree to a permanent ceasefire.
The development, reported by Punchbowl News and Politico, comes as Netanyahu faces intense criticism over civilian casualties in the Gaza war, which has increased tension with President Joe Biden’s administration.
Biden is expected to be in Italy for a G7 summit during Netanyahu’s stopover, although the Democrat’s one-week timetable on Saturday has not yet been officially announced.
Biden on Friday presented what he called a three-phase Israeli plan that would end the conflict, free all hostages and lead to the reconstruction of the devastated Palestinian territory without Hamas in power.
Netanyahu’s office stressed that the war, sparked by the October 7 attack, would continue until all of Israel’s “goals” are achieved, including the destruction of Hamas’s military and governance capabilities.
The four party leaders in the House and Senate asked Netanyahu last week to speak before a joint session of Congress in a letter expressing solidarity with Israel “in your fight against terror, especially as Hamas continues to hold American and Israeli citizens captive.” .”
The visit comes after Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer called on Israel in March to hold new elections, a rare example of sharp criticism from a senior US official over the country’s handling of the war in Gaza.
The rebuke from Schumer, the highest-ranking elected Jewish American in history, came amid expressions of dismay from the White House over the death toll in the conflict, sparked by the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas militants.
Progressives including Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent who votes with Democrats, condemned Netanyahu for his handling of the military response and vowed to condemn the right-wing leader’s speech.
“It is a very sad day for our country that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been invited – by leaders of both parties – to address a joint meeting of the United States Congress,” Sanders said in a weekend statement.
“Israel, of course, had the right to defend itself against Hamas’ horrific October 7 terror attack, but it had no right to wage war against the entire Palestinian people,” he added, calling Netanyahu a “war criminal.”
The war broke out when Hamas militants attacked Israel, resulting in 1,194 deaths, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.
According to data from the Health Ministry of Hamas-administered Gaza, more than 36,470 Palestinians, mostly civilians, have been killed in the Gaza Strip since the outbreak of the war.
According to the Israeli army, 294 soldiers have been killed in the military campaign since the ground offensive began on October 27.
House Speaker Mike Johnson’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
