Washington, Jul. 24, (dpa/GNA) – Police have arrested multiple pro-Palestinian protesters inside a US Capitol office building, one day before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is due in Washington to address a joint session of Congress.

The demonstrators had legally entered the Cannon House Office Building, which is part of the Capitol complex, Capitol police said on Tuesday.

However, the building does not permit protests and the demonstrators were asked to end their protest, police said.

Capitol police said that the demonstrators had failed to comply with the request, leading to the clearance of the building.

Netanyahu is due to address a joint session of Congress on Wednesday, a rare honour for a foreign leader, amid heavy criticism of his handling of the war in Gaza from US President Joe Biden’s administration and top Democrats.

According to media reports, the protest was organized by activist group Jewish Voice for Peace.

“We are here in the building where for the past nine and a half months members of Congress have decided again and again to send the bombs used to commit genocide,” the organization wrote on social media platform X.

In recent months, similar protests had taken place in the building.

Netanyahu’s visit to Washington comes at a time of political turmoil in the US following the withdrawal of Biden from the presidential race.

The Israeli prime minister’s visit is expected to shift attention back to the conflict in Gaza.

His address to Congress will focus on the conflict, with Netanyahu being accompanied on his visit by relatives of the hostages captured in the October 7 attacks led by the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

Both Biden and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump are set to hold talks with Netanyahu.

According to media reports, US Vice President Kamala Harris, Biden’s likely successor in the 2024 presidential race, also plans to meet with Netanyahu.

GNA