Gazans applaud US protesters as Israel demands student expulsion

Across northern and central Gaza, people gathered on Wednesday to express their support for students protesting the war in Gaza on U.S. college campuses. In Deir al-Balah, in front of Al Aqsa Martyrs hospital, healthcare workers displayed signs with messages like “United against genocide,” “The killing of children must stop,” and “Keep on fighting for justice.”

Dr. Saad Abu Sharban was elated by the global support shown in the protests, telling CNN, “It means the world to see that people across the globe are aware of what’s happening here in Gaza right now.”

In various refugee camps in Gaza, children were seen holding signs that thanked specific American universities where demonstrations had occurred, showing their gratitude for the solidarity expressed by the students.

Nadia Al-Dibs, a mother in Deir al-Balah, expressed her thanks to the American students, acknowledging their efforts and solidarity. She highlighted the contrast between the support from these foreign students and the perceived lack of concern from Arab nations.

This public show of gratitude from Gazans occurs as the campus protests in the U.S. stir controversy amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, which began with Hamas’s attack on October 7 that resulted in over 1,200 deaths. The demonstrations in the U.S. mainly call for an end to the Israeli offensive in Gaza, which has claimed over 34,000 lives according to the Palestinian health ministry and is approaching its eighth month.

However, these demonstrations have faced criticism, with some accusing them of crossing into anti-Semitism. Israel has argued that the protests are influenced by external agitators.