UCLA student hospitalized on Day 9 of Gaza hunger strike
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UCLA student Maya Abdullah was hospitalized on the ninth day of her hunger strike demanding university divestment from 'Israel'.
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Maya Abdullah is taken into an ambulance after fainting on May 18, 2025. (Instagram/guychristensen)
A student at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) was hospitalized on the ninth day of her hunger strike, as campus protests across the US continue in support of Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip.
Maya Abdullah, a 23-year-old Palestinian Lebanese film student, was rushed to the hospital on May 18 after fainting at UCLA. She had been on a hunger strike for nine days, calling on the university to divest from “Israel” over its blockade on Gaza. In a video posted to Instagram, Abdullah confirmed the hospitalization, saying, “On day nine of my hunger strike, I unexpectedly passed out at my school and had to be rushed to the hospital.”
Abdullah criticized the UCLA administration for its lack of response to her medical emergency. “Being hospitalized and not having a conversation with the administration was disheartening,” she said. A separate video circulated online shortly after the incident showed students accusing the university of ignoring their demands. “This is what happens when UCLA ignores its students. This is on you, UCLA,” the video declares.
Despite the setback, Abdullah described her action as “a step towards divestment” and part of a movement aimed at pressuring the university to sever ties with institutions complicit in the occupation of Palestine.
Hunger strikes spread across US universities
The hunger strike at UCLA is part of a larger campaign spreading across American campuses. Students at Yale, Stanford, and several California State University schools have also launched hunger strikes to demand institutional divestment from “Israel” and to highlight the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. Protesters have framed the actions as nonviolent resistance in solidarity with Palestinians suffering under siege and bombardment.
Amid the wave of student activism, concerns are growing over US efforts to target pro-Palestinian voices on US campuses. According to organizers, some international students have been forced to leave the country after facing university sanctions.
The escalation comes as the Trump administration faces accusations of silencing students who speak out in support of Palestine, and punishing universities by removing vital research grants. Advocacy groups have denounced what they describe as political intimidation and a crackdown on campus free speech.
In related news, the US Department of Health and Human Services announced on Monday that it is terminating another $60 million in federal grants allocated to Harvard University, citing what it claimed was the institution’s “continued failure to address antisemitic harassment and race discrimination” on its campus.
