Israel supporters attack pro-Palestine camp in U.S

Tensions surrounding the Israel-Palestine conflict have spilled over into U.S. university campuses, with clashes reported at the University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA) and Columbia University in New York.

At UCLA, supporters of Israel reportedly attacked a pro-Palestinian protest camp on Wednesday. Witness footage verified by Reuters depicted individuals wielding sticks or poles to hammer makeshift barricades protecting pro-Palestinian demonstrators before police intervention.

Meanwhile, in New York, police dispersed pro-Palestinian demonstrators at Columbia University, arresting individuals who had occupied a building. New York City Mayor Eric Adams attributed the protests to “outside agitators,” although concrete evidence was not provided for this claim.

The recent escalation in activism on U.S. campuses follows the Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel by Hamas militants, prompting an Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip. The violence has sparked widespread student protests across the U.S., echoing the scale of anti-racism demonstrations seen in 2020.

The Gaza health ministry has reported significant casualties from the Israeli retaliatory assault, with nearly 35,000 Palestinians killed and extensive damage to infrastructure exacerbating a humanitarian crisis in the enclave.

Amidst the protests, political undertones have emerged as the U.S. presidential election approaches in November. Republicans have accused university administrators of overlooking antisemitic rhetoric and harassment, further politicizing the student-led demonstrations.

As tensions persist, the clashes at U.S. universities underscore the deep divisions and passionate responses to the Israel-Palestine conflict reverberating across American campuses.