US Jewish group protests in eight cities for Gaza ceasefire

Over eight cities in the US are witnessing massive protests by a Jewish group demanding a ceasefire in Gaza. The protests have halted traffic on busy streets and bridges in Washington and Philadelphia.

In Washington, for instance, the Jewish Voice for Peace group said about 90 protesters blocked the overpass to New York Avenue in the northwestern part of the US capital. Police said the demonstration closed the New York Avenue and North Capitol Street intersection and urged people to use alternate routes.

"On the 8th night of Hanukkah, 8 cities, 8 bridges," Jewish Voice for Peace said on X, formerly called Twitter. "We are here, gathering across the country in massive, growing numbers, to say no more."

Boston, Atlanta, Chicago, Minneapolis, Seattle and Portland, Oregon are also among the places where demonstrations are currently occurring.

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In Philadelphia, about 200 protesters briefly blocked the I-76 highway, and more than 30 arrests were made, a Reuters witness said. Protesters held signs and banners that read: "Let Gaza Live" and "Not in our name."

The United Nations on Tuesday demanded an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in the Gaza Strip where Israel has vowed to annihilate Hamas militants.

The war in Gaza has led to pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli protests in the United States since October 7 when Hamas, the Palestinian Islamist group that rules Gaza, killed 1,200 Israelis and seized 240 hostages in a cross-border raid.

Since then, Israeli forces have besieged the coastal enclave and laid much of it to waste, with nearly 19,000 people dead, according to Palestinian health officials.

On Wednesday, anti-war activists blocked traffic on a busy Los Angeles highway during the morning rush hour and while some staff from the Biden administration also held a vigil demanding a ceasefire.