As violence rages on the other side of the world, students at Washington and Lee University are working together to process, mourn and raise awareness for the lives lost in the Israel-Hamas war.

Hillel President Gabby Kogan, ’24, said she is working through grief and fear the only way she knows how — by building a community of support.

“I don’t know how much longer this conflict will last. But I find solace and strength in the faces I see in front of me right now,” she said. “We will mourn together, we will heal together and continue to thrive together. And we will be here long after this conflict is over.”

The war hits close to home for students like Kogan who have family and friends trapped in war-torn areas. 

Mohammed Mourtaja, ’25, who grew up in Palestine, said he can’t even text or call his loved ones to see if they are safe.

“The situation in Gaza cannot be described in words,” Mourtaja said. “No matter what you think, no matter what you believe, this is not acceptable.”

The conflict, which broke out on Saturday when Palestinian Hamas militants stormed from Gaza into Israel, has already claimed at least 2,300 lives, according to the Associated Press. 

Tensions have been rising in Gaza, a small Palestinian territory bordering Israel and Egypt, since Israel began blockading the area in 2007. Israel declared war against Hamas after the surprise attack this weekend, and airstrikes since then have killed, injured and displaced thousands of Palestinian and Israeli civilians. 

About 90 students, administrators and community members gathered at a candlelight vigil Tuesday night to honor the more than 1,000 Israeli lives lost so far. Chuck Rutberg, ‘26, said he and other members of Hillel feel a responsibility to raise awareness of the tragedy.

“Often, when bad things happen to the Jews, the world is silent,” he said. “We’re not.”

On Wednesday, leaders of Hillel invited students to place Israeli flags — one for every life lost — in the center of Stemmons Plaza. Sophia Soderberg, ‘26, said she hopes the display will encourage everyone to keep victims in their thoughts.

“It’s easy for people to put [the conflict] in the back of their mind and not really think about what’s happening because we’re not on that side of the world,” she said. “But to have something like this that you’re going to walk by every day and see is helpful to always remember it.”

Kogan is directing those who want to donate to Hadassah, an organization that provides medical supplies and treatment to people in Israel. 

On the other side of the plaza, a group of Palestinian students and their supporters hosted an event on Wednesday to recognize civilian lives lost in Gaza. About 40 students, faculty and community members gathered in the atrium of the Center for Global Learning to share a moment of silence and pray for peace.

The event was spearheaded by Tania Kozachanska, ’26, and Ammar Alhajmee, ’26, who said they felt an urgency to give everyone, especially Palestinian students, a safe space to share their feelings. 

Student speakers such as Mourtaja and Eman Muamar, ’24, urged the audience to listen to, and read media coverage of, all sides of the war.

“We cannot dehumanize Palestinians. We need to recognize the lives lost on both sides,” Mourtaja said.

Muamar, who was born and raised in Gaza, encouraged students to spread awareness of the Palestinian lives lost in any ways they can and donate to organizations like Medical Aid for Palestinians.

“The recognition of Gaza and Palestine is equally important to the recognition and attention that Israel has been getting, especially given the fact that the Gaza Strip has been going through this for the past 16 years, not just the past few days,” she said.

Members of Hillel said that their focus is also on educating students on the conflict and its effects. Simone Schwartz, ’27, said she hopes the flag display will cause people to take time to reflect on the violence and consider a new point of view. 

“Our goal here is not to spark any sort of political controversy,” she said.

Some students, such as Angel Pilkey, ’25, said the very act of grieving can feel politically charged, even if students don’t intend it to be. 

“While we mourn, we have to defend why we’re mourning. That’s something that’s difficult to navigate,” he said while placing flags on the plaza. “But it’s good to see that this community is here in support.”