Congressional staffers band together to call for ceasefire amid Israel-Hamas war

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US Congressional staffers left their posts this afternoon to call for a ceasefire amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas.

The group of more than 100 staffers held an interfaith prayer vigil on the steps of the US Capitol to honor civilians killed during the fighting.

Thousands of flowers were laid down at the site to memorialize the reported 10,000 Palestinians that have died since the war started last month, as well as the 1,400 Israelis that died when Hamas launched its surprise attacks on Oct 7.

“We are congressional staffers on Capitol Hill, and we are no longer comfortable staying silent,” the group said in a joint statement on Wednesday afternoon.

“We were horrified by the brutal October 7th attacks on Israeli civilians, and we are horrified by the overwhelming response by the Israeli government that has killed thousands of innocent Palestinian civilians in Gaza.

“Our constituents are pleading for a ceasefire, and we are the staffers answering their calls,” the member stated, adding that more of the group’s bosses were not listening to the people they represent.

We demand our leaders speak up: call for a ceasefire, a release of all hostages and an immediate de-escalation now,” the statement concluded.

Palestinian protestors also disrupted a House Judiciary Committee hearing about free speech on college campuses on Wednesday.

The demonstrators were each removed from the floor as the protest continued.

US Rep Rashida Tlaib, the first woman of Palestinian descent to become a member of Congress, has openly called for a ceasefire. The Michigan Democrat was censured by Republicans in a 234 - 188 vote on Wednesday. The move is considered to be on step below expulsion from the US House of Representatives.

In a statement posted to X, formerly known as Twitter, on Tuesday, Ms Tlaib said, “It’s a shame my colleagues are more focused on silencing me than they are on saving lives.

“Many of them have shown me that Palestinian lives simply do not matter to them, but I still do not police their rhetoric or actions. Rather than acknowledge the voice and perspective of the only Palestinian American in Congress, my colleagues have resorted to distorting my positions.”