Israeli, Palestinian students protest Gaza war at Hebrew University of Jerusalem: ‘Stop the War’
Scores of Israeli and Palestinian students gathered outside the Hebrew University of Jerusalem on Tuesday to protest the war in Gaza as they accused Israel of committing genocide.
Footage of the demonstrations circulating social media show the protesters waving signs and banners that read, “Stop the War” and “Stop the genocide.”
Like with the protests that have erupted across American campuses, many of the students participating in the demonstration could be seen wearing keffiyehs.
Some of the students could also be seen with banners that read, “Stop Bombing Journalist,” referencing Monday’s airstrike that hit a media tent outside the Nasser Hospital, killing two people and injuring six other reporters.
Free Jerusalem, an advocacy group calling for the end to Israel’s occupation of the West Bank, joined the demonstrators at the school after the university administration, which initially granted permission for the protest, withdrew its authorization, local Haaretz reported.
“Despite the university’s pressures, we are here to stand by the students who are fighting to end the genocide and liberate Palestine,” the group said in a statement.
At the same time as the protest in Jerusalem, a demonstration was being held in solidarity at the Al-Quds University in the West Bank.
That protest, however, was quickly dispersed after Israeli forces stormed the campus and used tear gas, stun guns, and sound bombs against the demonstrators, according to local reports.
The protests come as frustrations grow in Israel over the ongoing war in Gaza, with 59 hostages remaining in captivity after 550 days.
Thousands have been protesting in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to return to war after a breakdown in the short-lived cease-fire agreement with Hamas.
Netanyahu’s critics have accused him of putting politics over the safety of the hostages, 24 of whom are believed to still be alive, with the embattled premier maintaining that military pressure was the best solution to eradicate Hamas and free the captives.
Nearly a month since the war resumed, Israel has taken control of nearly half of the Gaza Strip, with still no signs of progress in the stalled peace talks.
