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Pro-Palestinian Demonstrators March Outside White House

People demonstrate during a pro-Palestinian rally in front of the White House. ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP
People demonstrate during a pro-Palestinian rally in front of the White House. ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP
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Pro-Palestinian Demonstrators March Outside White House

People demonstrate during a pro-Palestinian rally in front of the White House. ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP
People demonstrate during a pro-Palestinian rally in front of the White House. ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP

Thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters gathered in the US capital on Saturday, marching past the White House to chants of "Free Palestine" as the death toll continued to climb in the conflict between Israel and Hamas.

"What is happening today is just beyond the pale. It's so upsetting, we are watching people being killed by an army that this country supports," demonstrator Linda Houghton told AFP.

Across the country, Americans have held pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian protests in the week since Hamas militants broke through the heavily fortified border between the Gaza Strip and Israel killed more than 1,300 people.

Israel's bombardment of the Gaza Strip in response has killed more than 2,200 people.

More than one million people in the northern part of the crowded enclave have been ordered to flee ahead of an expected Israeli ground assault, an exodus that aid groups said would worsen the humanitarian disaster.

Israel has also cut off food, water and electricity supplies to Gaza's 2.4 million people.

Clashes in the occupied West Bank have killed 53 Palestinians in the past week.

"I wish we could all do something, I wish we could stop the war, just stop the war," said Ahmed Abed, one of the protesters marching through downtown Washington under a sea of Palestinian flags.

"They are in prison," he said of the blockaded Gaza Strip.

Signs carried by marchers included messages such as "End the occupation" and "Cease-fire now."

In New York, home to the world's largest Jewish population outside of Israel, hundreds gathered in Brooklyn on Friday in solidarity against Israel's offensive, wielding a banner emblazoned with the message "Jews Say Stop Genocide Against Palestinians."

Jewish New Yorkers have been split, with some voices urging Israel to defend itself and others increasingly warning of Palestinian "genocide."

Two days after the Hamas attack, Arthur Schneier, the longtime senior rabbi at Manhattan's Park East Synagogue, called the assault "the most existential threat to Israel since its founding in 1948," a message that echoed Israeli authorities.

On the other side of the country, more than 1,000 pro-Palestinian demonstrators marched in Los Angeles on Saturday, local media reported.

Videos on social media showed tense moments between the crowd and pro-Israel counterprotesters.

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Where Do the Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Talks Stand?

Palestinians carry bodies of relatives killed in Israeli strike in Khan Younis on Tuesday. (AP)
Palestinians carry bodies of relatives killed in Israeli strike in Khan Younis on Tuesday. (AP)
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Where Do the Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Talks Stand?

Palestinians carry bodies of relatives killed in Israeli strike in Khan Younis on Tuesday. (AP)
Palestinians carry bodies of relatives killed in Israeli strike in Khan Younis on Tuesday. (AP)

Israeli media has intensified coverage of a potential breakthrough in negotiations with Hamas aimed at securing a temporary ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, which could pave the way for more serious talks on a permanent truce, according to both Israeli officials and sources within the Palestinian group.

Hamas sources confirmed to Asharq Al-Awsat that indirect negotiations are still underway, although no tangible progress has been achieved so far.

They described the process as “ongoing but fluctuating,” citing shifts in momentum due to regional distractions, including the Iranian-Israeli conflict, and the mediators’ engagement with other files they deem more pressing.

On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hinted at possible progress, saying he might dispatch a delegation to resume negotiations and had instructed officials to push forward with talks.

Senior Hamas officials inside and outside Gaza said there have been moments of increased activity in the talks, but no major breakthrough has occurred. However, they acknowledged some progress based on “positive signals” conveyed by mediators regarding a proposal recently advanced by US envoy Steve Witkoff.

The US plan reportedly includes a 60-day ceasefire period during which Israeli hostages held by Hamas would be released in stages.

According to Hamas sources, mediators have assured the group that such a phased release would ensure Israel’s commitment to the ceasefire throughout the full duration of the truce.

Sources have not ruled out the possibility of a “serious breakthrough” in ceasefire negotiations in the coming days, but warned that any progress ultimately depends on Israel’s stance.

“The main obstacle is not just ensuring a 60-day ceasefire,” one Hamas official told Asharq Al-Awsat.

“The real issue is securing clear guarantees that serious negotiations will follow that could lead to a comprehensive agreement to end the war. Israel continues to stall on this point, and that could once again derail the entire process,” they added.

The official dismissed recent Israeli media reports claiming “significant progress” had been made, calling them “nothing but political maneuvering.”

“Everything depends on Israel,” the source told Asharq Al-Awsat. “But so far, the Netanyahu government has failed to offer any clear commitments to ending the war. What’s being circulated in the Israeli media is just part of Israel’s ongoing evasive tactics.”

Hamas sources said mediators had offered reassurances regarding the implementation of a humanitarian protocol and steps to alleviate Gaza’s worsening humanitarian crisis - issues the group says must be addressed alongside any ceasefire arrangement.

Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth reported Tuesday that unnamed regional sources have pointed to “very significant progress” in negotiations toward a potential hostage deal, which could include a ceasefire and steps to end the war in Gaza.

“The two sides have shown flexibility, but both are wary of the consequences of confronting Iran,” one source was quoted as saying. The report added that the Israeli delegation has yet to travel to Doha out of concern that doing so could slow, rather than accelerate, the pace of negotiations.

According to the newspaper, US officials recently told the families of Israeli hostages that there are “extremely positive signs” of a potential breakthrough.

However, an unnamed Israeli official cautioned that the talks cover far more than just the initial stage of releasing eight to ten living captives. “The issues at hand are much broader and relate to effectively ending the war,” the official said.

Families of the Israeli hostages have been urging the government to prioritize their release and to seize the opportunity presented by the situation with Iran to push for a resolution.