Belgium’s Ghent University Severs Ties with Three Israeli Institutions 

Activists paint their hands and make a banner in an encampment, set up by pro-Palestinian students and activists at Ghent University, as students occupy parts of the campus in Ghent, Belgium, Thursday, May 16, 2024. (AP) 
Activists paint their hands and make a banner in an encampment, set up by pro-Palestinian students and activists at Ghent University, as students occupy parts of the campus in Ghent, Belgium, Thursday, May 16, 2024. (AP) 
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Belgium’s Ghent University Severs Ties with Three Israeli Institutions 

Activists paint their hands and make a banner in an encampment, set up by pro-Palestinian students and activists at Ghent University, as students occupy parts of the campus in Ghent, Belgium, Thursday, May 16, 2024. (AP) 
Activists paint their hands and make a banner in an encampment, set up by pro-Palestinian students and activists at Ghent University, as students occupy parts of the campus in Ghent, Belgium, Thursday, May 16, 2024. (AP) 

Belgium's University of Ghent (UGent) is severing ties with three Israeli educational or research institutions which it says no longer align with UGent's human rights policy, its rector said.

Pro-Palestinian protesters in Ghent have been protesting against Israel's military offensive in Gaza and have been occupying parts of the university since early this month.

The university's rector, Rik Van de Walle, said in a statement that ties were being cut with Holon Institute of Technology, MIGAL Galilee Research Institute, and the Volcani Center, which carries out agricultural research.

"We currently assess these three partners as (very) problematic according to the Ghent University human rights test, in contrast to the positive evaluation we gave these partners at the start of our collaboration", Van de Walle said.

Partnerships with MIGAL Galilee Research Institute and the Volcani Center "were no longer desirable" due to their affiliation with Israeli ministries, an investigation by the University of Ghent found, and collaboration with the Holon Institute "was problematic" because it provided material support to the army for actions in Gaza.

A spokesperson for the university said the move would affect four projects.

The three Israeli institutions did not immediately comment.

The protesters told Belgian broadcaster VRT they welcomed the decision but regarded it as only a first step. They said they would continue their occupation of parts of the university "until UGent breaks its ties with all Israeli institutions".

The actions mirror those of students in the United States and elsewhere in Europe, calling for an immediate permanent ceasefire and for schools to cut financial ties with companies they say are profiting from what they regard as the oppression of Palestinians.



Car Hits Pedestrians in Seoul, Killing 9 and Injuring 4

Broken glass and debris lie at the scene of car accident that resulted in several people killed and injured in central Seoul, South Korea July 1, 2024. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji
Broken glass and debris lie at the scene of car accident that resulted in several people killed and injured in central Seoul, South Korea July 1, 2024. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji
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Car Hits Pedestrians in Seoul, Killing 9 and Injuring 4

Broken glass and debris lie at the scene of car accident that resulted in several people killed and injured in central Seoul, South Korea July 1, 2024. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji
Broken glass and debris lie at the scene of car accident that resulted in several people killed and injured in central Seoul, South Korea July 1, 2024. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji

A car hit pedestrians waiting at a traffic light in central Seoul on Monday evening, killing nine people and injuring four, South Korea's emergency officials said.

The passenger car drove in the wrong direction and collided with two other cars just before hitting the pedestrians, South Korean media reports said.

The reports say the driver in his late 60s spoke of a sudden, unintended acceleration. He was detained, media reported.

Seoul police did not immediately confirm the reports.

Emergency officer Kim Chun-su told a briefing that one of the four injured was in serious condition.