Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will give a landmark speech to the US Congress on Wednesday.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is to deliver a landmark speech to the US Congress this week as he fights off intense pressure to cut a Gaza war ceasefire deal with Hamas.

Israel's longest-serving premier will on Wednesday become the first foreign leader to address a joint meeting of the two chambers four times -- pulling ahead of Britain's Winston Churchill on three.

But analysts say the Gaza war since the October 7 Hamas attacks has created worrying tensions between Israel and the United States, its main military and diplomatic backer. Netanyauhu's office announced that he will meet US President Joe Biden on Tuesday.

Washington fears a backlash from the mounting civilian toll in the Gaza Strip, while protests in Israel by families of hostages taken by Hamas are also causing headaches for Netanyahu.

Biden and some Israeli ministers say a deal negotiated through Qatar, Egyptian and US mediators is possible. A plan outlined in May proposed a six-week ceasefire when some Israeli hostages would be swapped for Palestinians held in Israeli prisons.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Friday that negotiators were "inside the 10 yard line and driving toward the goal line".

Hamas has accused Netanyahu of seeking to block a deal however and Blinken said he wants to "bring the agreement over the finish line" when Netanyahu is in Washington.

- Double pressure -

Israel has intensified its attacks on Gaza in recent weeks and Netanyahu has insisted that only piling on military pressure can free the hostages and beat Hamas.

"This double pressure is not delaying the deal -– it is advancing it," Netanyahu told troops in Gaza on Thursday.

The October 7 attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,195 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli figures. Hamas militants also seized 251 hostages, 116 of whom are still in Gaza, including 42 the Israeli military says are dead.

Israel's retaliatory campaign has killed at least 38,919 people in Gaza, also mostly civilians, according to data from the health ministry in the Hamas-ruled territory.

Publicly, Biden has voiced strong support for Israel. But he expressed concern over an offensive on the southern city of Rafah in May and for a while suspended deliveries of heavy bombs to Israel. Supplies of 2,000-pound bombs remain embargoed.

"Never before has the atmosphere been so fraught," said Council on Foreign Relations Middle East specialist Steven Cook.

"There is clearly tension in the relationship, especially between the White House and the Israeli prime minister," Cook said in a commentary.

- 'Political rhetoric' -

While US Republicans pressed to invite Netanyahu to address Congress, he has lost support among Democrats.

One Jewish senator, Democrat Brian Schatz of Hawaii, announced he would boycott Wednesday's speech, saying he would not listen to "political rhetoric that will do nothing to bring peace in the region".

Netanyahu said after being invited to Congress again that he would "present the truth about our just war against those who seek to destroy us".

Cook said that Netanyahu has two aims for his Washington trip.

First, to show that he has not "undermined" Israel's relations with the United States.

Netanyahu also "will endeavour to shift the conversation away from the conflict in Gaza toward the threat that Iran and its proxies pose" to Israel and the United States, Cook added.

Much attention will be focused on whether Netanyahu meets with Donald Trump or a figure close to the Republican presidential candidate.

Despite the tensions, the United States has defended Israeli interests while taking a key role in mediation efforts, and the military relationship remains strong, according to officials.

Washington's support could prove crucial as Israel faces increasing international criticism over the growing humanitarian toll from nearly 300 days of war.

The International Criminal Court's prosecutor in May asked judges to issue arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant. Warrants for three Hamas leaders have also been requested.

The Republican majority in the House of Representatives has called for sanctions against the ICC.

The International Court of Justice found Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories illegal on Friday, and in February called for the country to prevent any acts of genocide in its Gaza offensive.

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Netanyahu to meet Biden on Tuesday

US President Joe Biden (L) comforts Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet US President Joe Biden on Tuesday afternoon, the Israeli leader's office said on Sunday.

Netanyahu is expected to depart for the United States on Monday, his office announced. Biden and Netanyahu last met in person in Tel Aviv shortly after the massacres by the Palestinian militant Islamist organization Hamas on October 7.

According to media reports, the discussion is expected to focus primarily on efforts to secure a ceasefire in the Gaza conflict and the release of hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.

In Israel, there has been criticism of Netanyahu's overseas trip. Protesters demanded that he should only leave the country after an agreement on the hostages' release has been reached.

On Wednesday, Netanyahu is to address both chambers of the US Congress regarding Israel's military actions in the Gaza.

Relations between Biden and Netanyahu are considered strained. Netanyahu recently sparked a crisis with a video in which he harshly criticized the US government for holding back a weapons delivery.

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Mike Johnson Makes Wild Threat Against Democrats Over Netanyahu Visit

At a pro-Israel event in Milwaukee on Thursday, House Speaker Mike Johnson described his plans to target Democratic lawmakers who protest Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s upcoming speech to Congress.

“There’s a number of Democrats in the House who have said they are going to boycott the event, and then some others are gonna protest,” said Johnson. “We’re gonna have extra sergeants at arms on the floor, and if anybody gets out of hand the Speaker of the House will bang the gavel. We’re gonna arrest people if we have to do it. We’re gonna get the message out.”

According to PBS, Johnson was the one to initially lead the charge to invite Netanyahu, after Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer criticized the Israeli leader as “an obstacle to peace” due to his handling of the war on Gaza.

A number of Democrats are considering objecting to the upcoming speech. Several intend to boycott it, including Representatives Jim Clyburn, Pramila Jayapal, Greg Casar, and Loyd Doggett. Justifying his stance, Doggett pointed to Netanyahu’s encouragement of the “indiscriminate bombing” of Gaza and the resultant “loss of lives that should never have happened.” He said of Netanyahu, “He has not prioritized the hostages; he ought to be doing that instead of coming here.”

Others have considered different forms of protest. According to Axios, an unnamed House Democrat has said some of his colleagues plan on “going and disrupting” the speech. Wisconsin Representative Mark Pocan suggested “dressing in a certain way” or “sitting together”—but specified that he will not be “going MTG.”

On X (formerly Twitter), progressive political analyst Omar Baddar said that Johnson’s promise to meet protest with a heavy hand revealed a double standard, as Republicans have heckled State of the Union addresses by Obama and Biden in the past without consequence. The Intercept’s Prem Thakker contrasted Johnson’s remarks with those of Trump in his RNC speech Thursday: “We should not criminalize dissent or demonize political disagreement.”

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Capitol Police adding more officers for Netanyahu visit

U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) is adding more officers ahead of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to Washington next week.

In a statement, Capitol Police said it has been “working around the clock” with federal, state and local partners to prepare for Netanyahu’s trip, after a bipartisan group of lawmakers officially invited the Israeli leader in May to deliver a joint address to Congress.

“For safety reasons, we never provide specific security details, but generally we can say that our plan includes adding more officers — including from several outside agencies — continuing our robust intelligence sharing with our partners, and ensuring that we have enough resources for our teams,” USCP representatives said.

The decision to invite Netanyahu to address lawmakers has sparked controversy as the war in Gaza continues on. Several Democratic lawmakers have already announced they will protest Netanyahu’s speech.

More than 200 anonymous staff members across more than 100 congressional offices signed a letter earlier this week calling for Congress to protest or boycott the address. Other prominent Israeli groups have also pressed lawmakers to rescind the invitation.

Capitol Police said they expect there to be “a large number of demonstrators.”

“We respect everyone’s First Amendment rights, however all demonstrations must be done peacefully and legally,” the USCP said.

Road closures and more information for the public will be announced in the coming days, officials confirmed.

The Biden administration is working with partners to negotiate a cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas that would free the remaining hostages held in Gaza.

Israel has faced widespread criticism for the war in Gaza, where the Palestinian death toll nears 39,000, per the Gaza Health Ministry.

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Antony Blinken calls Hamas-Israel cease-fire within the '10-yard line'

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he believes a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza is within the "10-yard line."

Blinken made the comments Friday during a security forum, ahead of next week's visit by Israeli Benjamin Netanyahu to Washington, D.C.

"I believe we're inside the 10-yard line and driving toward the goal line in getting an agreement that would produce a cease-fire, get the hostages home and put us on a better track to trying to build lasting peace and stability," Blinken said during the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado.

"We often know the last 10 yards are often the hardest."

The comments come just days after the secretary of state warned the civilian death toll in Gaza remained "unacceptably high," during a meeting with senior Israeli government officials following Israeli Defense Forces airstrikes.

Blinken said Hamas has signed on to the framework of a deal, making him hopeful an agreement can be reached to free the remaining hostages held by the militant group and end Israel's military campaign in the besieged Palestinian enclave.

"What we can't have is an agreement that's followed by some kind of void," Blinken told the forum.

"If it's there, by Hamas coming back, which is unacceptable; by Israel prolonging its occupation, which they say they don't want to do and is unacceptable; or just having a vacuum that's filled by lawlessness."

Blinken did not directly answer a question from the moderator about allegations Netanyahu had previously worked to undermine earlier attempts at negotiating a ceasefire.

"I'm not focused on personalities, I'm focused on policies," the Secretary of State said.

"And we want to make sure as we go forward with anyone, whether it's our Israeli allies or anyone else, that we reach agreements on the concrete steps to be taken to move whatever it is we're trying to move forward."

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