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Protesters have demanded a ceasefire in Gaza for the second day in a row as a summit of the NATO military alliance takes place in the United States.

The demonstration in Washington also saw protesters call for a halt to the funding of wars, °®Âþµº's Arabic edition Al-Araby Al-Jadeed reported on Wednesday.

Some activists demonstrated near a hotel, using loudspeakers to protest against hosting NATO members and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken attending one of the events.

"We came here to protest and speak out against the US secretary of state and against [NATO]," said a US activist who had been demonstrating for a ceasefire in Gaza for months.

"It is sad to give any justification for Western military spending at this point in human history, especially as we witness Western bombs tearing children apart every day at the hands of the Israeli occupation army," the activist added.

The activist said the protesters had objected to Western military spending and would continue their civil action.

It comes as US intelligence head Avril Haines alleged that "Iranian government actors" have "sought to opportunistically take advantage of ongoing protests regarding the war in Gaza".

"We have observed actors tied to Iran's government posing as activists online, seeking to encourage protests, and even providing financial support to protesters," she in a statement on Tuesday.

But Haines acknowledged that Americans taking part in protests were "in good faith, expressing their views on the conflict in Gaza".

Washington and Tehran have long been foes. While Iran is a major enemy of Israel, the US is its foremost backer, including in the war on Gaza.

The NATO council, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and officials are discussing further military, financial, and political support from the alliance for Kyiv, to strengthen its capabilities against Russia.

Moscow began a full-scale invasion of its neighbour in 2022.

The White House said the allies will announce the provision of a minimum of €40 billion ($43 billion) of financial support over the next year, as well as new measures that would lead to Ukraine becoming a NATO member.

Israel's war on Gaza has so far killed at least 38,295 people, according to the Palestinian enclave's health ministry.

The NATO summit is taking place in Washington, DC, to celebrate the alliance's 75th anniversary.

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