Protesters urging ceasefire booted from Israel ambassador hearing

Three protestors were removed Wednesday from a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on President Biden’s nominee to become America’s ambassador to Israel, calling for the U.S. to stop supporting Israel and demand a ceasefire in its war against Hamas.

The Senate is considering the confirmation of Jacob Lew as the U.S. ambassador to Israel. Lew, who served as Treasury secretary under former President Obama, was nominated by Biden last month.

One of the protestors escorted out of the hearing shouted “we need a ceasefire now,” “stop sending aid to Israel” and “stop the Israeli genocide.” Another shouted “Palestinians need freedom” as they were being pulled away.

Seven progressive House Democrats called on Biden Tuesday to push for a cease-fire during his visit to Israel Wednesday in an effort to protect civilians, a day after hundreds were killed in an explosion in a Gaza hospital.

The hearing on Lew’s nomination comes as Biden and lawmakers in both parties seek to reinforce U.S. support for Israel’s war against Hamas, while also warning outside actors against intervening and expanding the conflict.

The White House is preparing a supplemental funding request that would reportedly include about $100 billion for Israel, Ukraine and border security.

Biden also announced an agreement Wednesday to allow humanitarian aid to move from Egypt to Gaza, pledging $100 million to assist civilians in Gaza and the West Bank. Biden said Israel has agreed to the aid and acknowledged that the aid should go to the 1 million displaced civilians in Gaza, not Hamas.

The announcement came amid heightened pressure from world leaders and protests from the public about a humanitarian crisis facing Gaza, which has been hit with retaliatory Israeli strikes that have left thousands dead and the region without access to food, water and medicine.

Protests erupted in the Middle East Tuesday after the explosion at a hospital in Gaza left hundreds dead, authorities estimate, including patients who were seeking treatment from previous airstrikes. A meeting with Arab leaders and Biden in Jordan was canceled before the president embarked on his trip to Tel Aviv.