WASHINGTON – A pro-Palestinian protest is underway on Capitol Hill as demonstrators are occupying the Cannon Rotunda and large crowds are growing around the Capitol complex.

The Cannon House Office Building holds several House Committee and congressional offices.

U.S. Capitol Police say that demonstrations are not allowed inside Congressional buildings and are working to clear the crowd. Police have already arrested several individuals as chants of “ceasefire now” and “free Palestine” echoed around the building.

The detained protesters were lined up outside the building and are being shuttled to a temporary holding area in the Capitol complex. Capitol Police say demonstrators inside the Cannon Rotunda will be charged with illegally protesting inside a House Office Building.

They say already among these arrests, three people have been charged with assault on a police officer during processing.

USCP says it is monitoring the situation as more protesters are gathering around the House side of the Capitol Complex and because of that, they are temporarily rolling road closures for safety.

The protest began on the National Mall and eventually made its way to the building, which is situated at Independence Ave. and New Jersey Ave. adjacent to the Capitol Building.

Fencing went up overnight around parts of the U.S. Capitol ahead of the protest organized group Jewish Voice for Peace but the demonstrators were able to stream into the Cannon building mid-afternoon.

President Joe Biden Wednesday announced $100 million for humanitarian assistance in Gaza and the West Bank to help displaced and conflict-affected Palestinians as Israel has agreed to allow aid into the area — but with the explicit understanding that shipments and that aid should only go to civilians and not Hamas militants.

“Let me be clear. If Hamas diverts or steals the assistance, they will have demonstrated once again that they have no concern for the welfare of the Palestinian people,” Biden said.

Israel quickly cut off the flow of food, fuel and water to the Gaza Strip after the deadly surprise attack by Hamas that killed more than 1,400 people. It’s estimated that more than 2,800 Palestinians have been killed in retaliatory attacks and another 1,200 are missing — buried under rubble dead or alive.

Since the war began, the Biden administration has condemned Hamas and stood firmly with Israel. Biden flew to the embroiled nation Tuesday and has pledged ongoing support for the Israeli government.

“Israel must again be a safe place for the Jewish people. And I promise you: We’re going to do everything in our power to make sure that it will be,” Biden said while speaking from Tel Aviv Wednesday. “My administration has been in close touch with your leadership from the first moments of this attack, and we are going to make sure we have — you have what you need to protect your people, to defend your nation.”

But Biden has also expressed support for Palestinians who are not backing Hamas and signaled that the U.S. is seeking the help them as well.

“The vast majority of Palestinians are not Hamas,” Biden wrote on X. “And Hamas does not represent the Palestinian people.”

There have been several protests around the D.C. area in recent days as the war between Israel and Hamas continues.

More than 30 protesters were arrested in front of the White House on Monday and over the weekend, thousands of pro-Palestinian activists took to the streets of the nation’s capital to advocate for a cease-fire between Israel and the Iranian-backed Hamas militant group.

Tensions have only increased following a deadly rocket blast at a Gaza hospital Tuesday. The Gaza Health Ministry said at least 500 people were killed.

Hamas blamed the Israeli government while the Israeli government has blamed Islamic Jihad — a smaller, more radical Palestinian militant group that often works with Hamas.

As they met Wednesday, Biden told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that intelligence from the Department of Defense showed it was not likely a strike by the Israeli military and that it “appears as though it was done by the other team, not you.”