Cambridge: The ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict has sent shockwaves through the hallowed halls of Harvard University, resulting in a divisive response from various factions within the institution. A joint statement emerged on October 7, issued by 35 organizations representing the Harvard Palestine Solidarity Groups, in which they squarely pinned the blame on the Israeli government for the recent violence. This statement underscored that the recent hostilities were not isolated events but rather the latest chapter in a 75-year history of Palestinian suffering caused by Israeli policies.

The collective statement implored the Harvard community to unite against what it described as an ongoing "annihilation" of the Palestinian people. Notably, the former Harvard President, Larry Summers, expressed vehement opposition to this statement, further intensifying the university's internal discourse on the issue.

As reported by The Harvard Crimson, 17 student groups, including Harvard Hillel and Harvard Chabad, as well as approximately 500 academics and staff, responded with letters of their own, expressing their differing viewpoints.

In their counter-response, nearly 160 academic members of Harvard University asserted that the original statement's signatories among the student body appeared to be "condoning the mass murder of civilians based solely on their nationality." According to The Guardian, the letter contended that the Israeli government bore full responsibility for the ongoing violence, emphasizing the plight of millions of Palestinians living in what was described as an "open-air prison," unable to escape retaliatory airstrikes that have claimed over 1,000 lives and displaced countless more, as entire neighborhoods have been reduced to rubble by the Israeli military.

"We call on the Harvard community to take action to stop the ongoing suffering of the Palestinian people," the letter read. The letter's content has drawn sharp criticism from political and corporate leaders alike. Harvard University President Claudine Gay, in response to the controversy, publicly distanced the university from a student club's declaration condemning Israel for its conflict with Hamas, asserting that this club's views did not represent the institution as a whole.

"Regardless of individual perspectives on the complex history of conflicts in the region, such inhumanity is unacceptable," President Claudine Gay remarked in a statement regarding the ongoing violence.

Further complicating the situation, a group of US business executives has called on Harvard University to disclose the identities of students associated with the organizations that endorsed the letter accusing Israel of responsibility for the fatal Hamas strikes, which exacerbated the Israeli-Gaza conflict. These business leaders believe that revealing these identities would help them avoid hiring such individuals once they graduate from Harvard.

Operation Ajay: First Group of 7 Malayalees Safely Returned from Israel's Conflict Zone to Kerala

Israeli Forces Successfully Recapture Sufa Military Post from Hamas Post Intense Battle, Watch

Israeli Communities Describe Living Nightmare Amidst Recent Hamas Attacks