About 80 protesters gathered in front of the Israeli consulate in the Loop Thursday to pray for starvation to end in Gaza and demand the United States pull its financial support for Israel.

Members held protest signs that read “America stop funding genocide” and “Everyone in Gaza is starving” while leading prayers and sharing their message for peace. Some shared stories of people they lost, before and in the 22 months of the war that began with a Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023.

Led by the Rev. Michael Pfleger of St. Sabina Catholic Church, the group included members of his South Side church, Muslim civil rights nonprofit CAIR-Chicago and Jewish Voices for Peace, among other organizations.

“We are here today to call for a cease-fire. We are here today to demand a release of all hostages,” Pfleger said. “We are here today to demand an end to the genocide and ethnic cleansing that [Israeli prime minister Benjamin] Netanyahu has ordered. And we’re here to demand that the Trump administration stop funding and being co-conspirators of this genocide.”

The UN World Food Program estimates that 470,000 Palestinian people are enduring famine-like conditions and 90,000 women and children need urgent nutrition treatment.

“It’s not fair, and it’s not human either. I don’t think anybody should live like this, especially in hunger and constant fear,” said St. Sabina parishioner Hannah Edmonson, 19.

Vera Avery, a 91- year-old parishioner, said the U.S. should stop giving monetary aid to Israel.

“I came here today because of a very desperate need for justice for the people in Palestine and also to pray for what’s going on … but still, I wanted to pray for him [Netanyahu] that somehow, his mind and his heart might be changed a little bit,” Avery said.

In a statement, Renie Schreiber, Director of Public Diplomacy at the Consulate General of Israel to the Midwest, said the country, “takes the humanitarian situation in Gaza seriously and works closely with the U.S. and the international community to ensure the flow of humanitarian aid. Every day, hundreds of aid trucks enter the Gaza Strip.”

The statement said Hamas “still holds 50 Israeli hostages for 670 days now, and deliberately starves them. Hamas must release all the hostages now to bring an end to the war.”

Husam Marajda, a member of the U.S. Palestinian Community Network, called on Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs to divest the nearly $100 million in Israeli bonds his office purchased since 2015, including $10 million last March, and divest from companies who are doing business with the state of Israel.

Members want that money to be invested in Chicago in housing, education, health care, among other priorities, Marajda said.

Frerichs’ office did not immediately respond to a request for comment late Thursday.

About 80 protesters gathered in front of the Israeli consulate in the Loop Thursday to pray for starvation to end in Gaza and demand the United States pull its financial support for Israel.

Members held protest signs that read “America stop funding genocide” and “Everyone in Gaza is starving” while leading prayers and sharing their message for peace. Some shared stories of people they lost, before and in the 22 months of the war that began with a Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023.

Led by the Rev. Michael Pfleger of St. Sabina Catholic Church, the group included members of his South Side church, Muslim civil rights nonprofit CAIR-Chicago and Jewish Voices for Peace, among other organizations.

“We are here today to call for a cease-fire. We are here today to demand a release of all hostages,” Pfleger said. “We are here today to demand an end to the genocide and ethnic cleansing that [Israeli prime minister Benjamin] Netanyahu has ordered. And we’re here to demand that the Trump administration stop funding and being co-conspirators of this genocide.”

The UN World Food Program estimates that 470,000 Palestinian people are enduring famine-like conditions and 90,000 women and children need urgent nutrition treatment.

“It’s not fair, and it’s not human either. I don’t think anybody should live like this, especially in hunger and constant fear,” said St. Sabina parishioner Hannah Edmonson, 19.

Vera Avery, a 91- year-old parishioner, said the U.S. should stop giving monetary aid to Israel.

“I came here today because of a very desperate need for justice for the people in Palestine and also to pray for what’s going on … but still, I wanted to pray for him [Netanyahu] that somehow, his mind and his heart might be changed a little bit,” Avery said.

In a statement, Renie Schreiber, Director of Public Diplomacy at the Consulate General of Israel to the Midwest, said the country, “takes the humanitarian situation in Gaza seriously and works closely with the U.S. and the international community to ensure the flow of humanitarian aid. Every day, hundreds of aid trucks enter the Gaza Strip.”

The statement said Hamas “still holds 50 Israeli hostages for 670 days now, and deliberately starves them. Hamas must release all the hostages now to bring an end to the war.”

Husam Marajda, a member of the U.S. Palestinian Community Network, called on Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs to divest the nearly $100 million in Israeli bonds his office purchased since 2015, including $10 million last March, and divest from companies who are doing business with the state of Israel.

Members want that money to be invested in Chicago in housing, education, health care, among other priorities, Marajda said.

Frerichs’ office did not immediately respond to a request for comment late Thursday.