Latest News from Campus

Crowds in Tel Aviv’s Hostage Square and Jewish communities around the world celebrated as the final 20 living hostages were released by Hamas and reunited with their families after more than two years in captivity. The hostage release was part of phase one of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, which also included the release of nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, and the withdrawal of Israel troops from many parts of Gaza.

The National Education Association (NEA), the largest teachers union in the U.S., sent an email to all three million members that labeled the state of Israel as “Palestine.” The map was included with links that reportedly justified or defended the October 7th attacks. Following backlash to the email, the NEA removed some of the content from its website, admitting it did not meet their standards, but did not remove the map.

The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), the governing body of European soccer, is reportedly set to vote on whether to suspend Israel from future competitions over its involvement in the war in Gaza. According to the Associated Press, a majority of committee members support the motion to suspend Israel, which would prevent Israeli national and club teams from playing in international competitions.

The IDF began a ground operation in Gaza City on Tuesday, according to Israeli government officials. This follows intensified airstrikes over the last several days, with the stated goal of targeting and destroying Hamas infrastructure, and seeking to force an end to the Gaza war.

The Toronto International Film Festival briefly removed The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue, a documentary about Noam Tibon’s mission to save his family during the Oct. 7th Hamas attacks. After public pressure, the festival reinstated the film, which then won the People’s Choice Award for documentaries.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed deep regret over an Israeli airstrike on Nasser Hospital in the city of Khan Younis in Southern Gaza, which killed 20 people. The Israeli military stated that the strike was an accident, and was intended to target a Hamas camera, but further investigations are underway to assess the approval process and munitions used.