The Israel-Hamas war|The reactions

Half of the Democrats in Congress skipped the speech

Around 100 members of the House of Representatives and 28 senators from the Democrats were present during Benjamin Netanyahu's speech to the US Congress, reports Axios.

This means that around half of the Democrats in Congress did not show up. In comparison, 58 were absent during Netanyahu's 2015 speech.

At least 30 of the Democrats have explicitly made it clear that they were absent in protest of Israel's warfare in Gaza.

Thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators protested in Washington DC during the speech, and some were pepper-sprayed by police. Five people were also arrested in the Congress chamber for disrupting the speech.

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Hamas: The speech shows that he does not want a ceasefire

Benjamin Netanyahu's speech in the US Congress shows that he does not want to finalize a ceasefire agreement, Hamastoppen Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters.

- Netanyahu's speech was full of lies and will not succeed in [...] hiding the genocide his army is committing on the people of Gaza.

At the same time, a high-ranking US government source says that a ceasefire is close, according to AFP.

- We believe that it is in the final stages and that an agreement can be concluded.

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Netanyahu on the protests: "Iran's useful idiots"

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu received several long, standing ovations during his three-quarter-long address to the US Congress on Wednesday, which some 30 members boycotted.

- We are at a historic crossroads. If civilization is to prevail, Israel and the United States must stand together, he said.

Netanyahu accused the protesters on the streets of Washington DC of being financed by Iran.

- They should be ashamed. They have become Iran's useful idiots.

When Israel fights against Hamas, Hezbollah and the Huthi rebels, it fights against Iran - and thus protects the United States, Netanyahu said.

- Our enemies are your enemies. Our fight is your fight. Our victory is your victory.

He urged Congress to establish a fast track for military aid to Israel to end the war in Gaza and install a civilian government with Palestinians "who do not want to destroy Israel."

Netanyahu maintained that the war in Gaza will not end until Israel achieves "total victory", calling the accusations of genocide and starvation of Palestinians "slander and nonsense".