Shafaq News / Family members of Palestinians killed in Israel's military campaign in Gaza shared grief-ridden stories with thousands of protesters who gathered in downtown Washington on Saturday demanding an immediate ceasefire.

In one of the largest pro-Palestinian demonstrations to date in the U.S. capital, the protesters repeated their call for U.S. President Joe Biden to stop sending arms to Israel and chanted "free Palestine" and "ceasefire now."

Some people chanted: "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free" - a slogan that critics interpret as a call for the elimination of Israel.

Adam Abosherieah, one of the speakers, said over 100 family members, including his 83-year-old father, mother, and brother, have been killed in Israeli air strikes.

"Dozens of my family members' bodies are still under the rubble," Abosherieah, a pharmacist from New Jersey, said. "President Biden can easily put a stop to this genocide ... He can easily pick up the phone and call Israel to stop this madness."

Other speakers included Randa Muhtaseb, who said she lost 36 family members in Gaza, and Alaa Hussein Ali, who spoke about over 100 of his relatives killed in Israeli attacks. Reuters could not independently verify these figures.

The latest escalation in the Gaza conflict followed an attack on Israel on Oct. 7 by the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, which Israel said killed 1,200 people.

Israel's subsequent assault on Hamas-governed Gaza has killed more than 23,000 Palestinians, about 1% of the 2.3 million population there, according to Gaza's health ministry.

(Reuters)