Protests extend to graduation celebrations

Protests over the Israel-Hamas conflict have spread across the US and European university and college campuses in recent weeks, leading to disruptions and arrests. Some demonstrations extended into weekend graduation celebrations.

In the US, students and others on campuses, whom law enforcement authorities have identified as outside agitators, have taken part in the protests from Columbia University in New York City to the University of California, Los Angeles.

Dozens of students walked out of Duke University's graduation ceremony on Sunday as comedian Jerry Seinfeld, who has vocally supported Israel's operation in Gaza, received an honorary doctorate, videos posted on social media showed.

Accounts posting the footage said the students at the prestigious university were protesting the usually apolitical star's stance over Israel, which has drawn controversy.

In Europe, the University of Amsterdam said on Monday it would remain closed for two days after police moved in to end a pro-Palestinian protest at one of its campuses earlier in the day.

The university has been the scene of violent clashes between protesters and riot police three times in the past week.

In another development, a former US military intelligence official released a letter on Monday that explained to his colleagues at the Defense Intelligence Agency, or DIA, that his November resignation was in fact due to "moral injury" stemming from US support for Israel and the harm caused to Palestinians.

Harrison Mann, an army major, would be the first known DIA official to quit over US support to Israel. Mann said he kept quiet about his motives for resigning for months out of fear.

Meanwhile, Israeli tanks on Tuesday moved toward the center of Rafah, the southernmost city in the Gaza Strip, as tens of thousands of residents fled to evade an Israeli ground offensive, a local source reported.

The source told Xinhua News Agency that the tanks had reached the Al-Geneina neighborhood and were advancing toward the city center "amid heavy gunfire".

Agencies - Xinhua