Washington, D.C. – Advocates calling for a ceasefire in Gaza were often interrupted by their own tears as they gathered outside the White House and read out the names of the Palestinians killed in war.

Several speakers, including a congresswoman Rashida Tlaib and actors Cynthia Nixon and Denée Benton took turns reading from a long list of names Wednesday night. But they survived barely a fraction of the more than 15,000 Palestinians killed in Israeli attacks.

Activists warned that the list of dead would only grow if the current ceasefire expired and a permanent ceasefire was not secured.

The vigil — which included Tlaib and other progressive members of Congress — was organized by activists, state lawmakers and artists Hunger strike in Washington, DC, in support of a ceasefire in Gaza.

Tlaib and her colleagues gathered to show support for the hunger strikers and warned that the war in Gaza must end, stressing that a temporary pause in the fighting was not enough.

“How many more lives will be enough?” How many children still have to be killed? How many families still have to be traumatized and torn apart? There is nothing humanitarian, my friends, about giving innocent civilians a few days of peace before they are bombed again,” Tlaib said.

She urged President Joe Biden to listen to people calling for a ceasefire, which opinion polls show is supported by most Americans and an overwhelming majority of Democrats.

“Our movement works”

Tlaib, the only Palestinian-American congressman, criticized the White House for calling lawmakers who called for a ceasefire early in the war “despicable.”

“The bombing of innocent civilians and children is abhorrent and shameful. The refusal to support a ceasefire and an end to violence and killing is repugnant and disgraceful. “Our president’s call for Congress to fund more bombs to be dropped on innocent civilians is disgusting and shameful,” Tlaib said.

Biden is seeking more than $14 billion in additional funds that Israel supports the war on Gaza, in addition to the $3.8 billion Israel receives annually from the United States.

Tlaib emphasized that leading human rights groups and Pope Francis have called for a ceasefire and stressed that the demand is not controversial.

Congresswoman Cori Bush, the introduced a resolution When he called for a ceasefire on the House floor last month, he reiterated Tlaib’s comments and emphasized that the campaign to demand a ceasefire was making progress.

“Our movement is working. They feel our energy in the White House. They hear our demands. They see us marching through the streets. They’re watching the election,” Bush said.

The congresswoman noted that when she first introduced a resolution on Oct. 16, the measure only had 13 co-sponsors. More than 40 lawmakers in the House of Representatives and Senate have now called for a ceasefire in Gaza.

“It is clear that our voters and people around the world want a ceasefire,” Bush said.

Biden sparked speculation Tuesday with a social media post that could be interpreted as a call for Israel to end the war, suggesting the violence would only strengthen support for Hamas.

“Hamas launched a terrorist attack because it fears nothing more than Israelis and Palestinians living side by side in peace,” Biden wrote.

“Continuing the path of terror, violence, killing and war means giving Hamas what it seeks.”

But the White House national security spokesman John Kirby later in the day, quickly reiterated U.S. support for Israel’s war effort and suggested the country had a “responsibility” to eliminate Hamas.

The war

The war on Gaza began on October 7 after Hamas launched an attack on southern Israel that killed 1,200 Israelis and captured more than 200 people.

The Palestinian group said the attack was in response to Israel’s illegal actions Settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank, mistreatment of Palestinian prisoners and attacks on the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Israel responded with a relentless bombing campaign that has become one of the deadliest conflicts for children in modern history. It also launched a ground invasion into parts of the besieged Gaza Strip and Highly limited the import of food, water, fuel and medicine into the Palestinian territory.

The war has been suppressed More than a million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

The almost unprecedented level of violence has led to this United Nations experts to warn that Palestinians face a “major risk of genocide.”

The Biden administration has early expressed its unwavering support for Israel and its goal of destroying Hamas. But after seven weeks of fighting in Gaza, Israel still appears to be far from achieving this goal.

An agreement brokered by Qatar, the US and Egypt was signed last week. has been reached to temporarily stop fighting to allow the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and to increase humanitarian aid to Gaza.

The ceasefire was extended for two days, but is expected to expire early on Thursday.

On Wednesday, Congressman Jamaal Bowman said at the White House that calling for a ceasefire is about striving for our common humanity.

“We have all read about genocides. We have all read about mass murders. I can’t believe I’m living through one. And I can’t believe that I’m living through something like this and the US government is condoning it and being complicit. It’s a shame,” he said.

For his part, Congressman Jonathan Jackson said that “too many” innocent people are suffering from the war.

“We have seen too much bloodshed and we stand here with a sense of moral outrage, our courage and our conviction,” Jackson said.