Protesters disrupt Netanyahu dinner at Washington hotel

Activists gathered outside the Washington, D.C., hotel where Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was scheduled to dine, staging a protest aimed at drawing attention to the ongoing Gaza conflict. The demonstration, which began in the early afternoon, attracted a diverse crowd of demonstrators who held signs calling for an end to the war and urging the U.S. government to pressure Israel for a cease‑fire. Police officers were deployed to maintain order, and a small number of protesters were detained for violating the hotel’s security perimeter.

The hotel’s management issued a statement saying it had no control over the protest and that it remained open for guests, while U.S. officials noted that the demonstration fell within the bounds of protected free‑speech rights. Netanyahu’s spokesperson declined to comment on the protest, and no official statement from the Israeli government was issued. The incident underscores the heightened domestic tensions surrounding Israel’s military actions in Gaza and the broader debate over U.S. foreign policy in the region.