Latest News from Campus

In response to the escalation of hostilities between Israel and Iran, Birthright Israel rerouted approximately 1,500 participants from the Israeli port city of Ashdod onto a cruise ship bound for Cyprus. The decision was made to ensure student safety. The participants were eventually routed to other parts of Europe before returning safely home to the U.S. and Canada.

In response to Israel’s preemptive strike against Iranian nuclear facilities and military leaders, Iran launched a wave of ballistic missiles at Israel, hitting major cities including Haifa and Tel Aviv. The attack killed eight civilians and left 300 injured, marking one of the deadliest escalations in the region since the start of direct hostilities.

The IDF confirmed that the body of hostage Aviv Atzili, who was killed during Hamas’s October 7th attack and taken into Gaza, was recovered last week in a military operation. Atzili was a respected artist and a pillar of the Kibbutz Nir Oz community. His wife, Liat, was also taken hostage but was released in November 2023 during a week-long truce between Israel and Hamas.

Israel launched coordinated overnight strikes across Iran, targeting nuclear and military sites in cities including Tehran and Natanz. A number of top Iranian commanders are reportedly among the casualties. Israeli officials say the operation is meant to disrupt Iran’s nuclear weapons program and missile capabilities. Israel has declared a nationwide state of emergency. This is a developing story.

The IDF recovered the bodies of two murdered Israeli hostages who were abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7, 2023. Yair Yaakov, murdered by Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorists on October 7, was one of the deceased hostages. The name of the second hostage has not yet been released.

Hundreds gathered in Boulder, Colorado on June 8 for the weekly “Run for Their Lives” walk to show solidarity with the hostages held by Hamas, just one week after a firebombing attack injured 12 participants of the same program. This event spotlighted the 55 hostages still held in Gaza, with personal testimonies from their families. In an event that usually only draws about a dozen people, this record turnout included Colorado Senator John Hickenlooper among the hundreds of attendees.