Mexican academics hunger strike, demand end of Israel ties as first Gaza refugee family arrives

A group of Mexican university professors held a hunger strike at the Hemiciclo a Juárez over the weekend, calling for an end to all Mexican diplomatic, commercial, and security relations with Israel over what they described as "systematic extermination" in Gaza.

Organised under the banner Academics for Palestine Against Genocide, the protest included faculty from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), the Metropolitan Autonomous University (UAM), and the Autonomous University of Mexico City (UACM).

Protesters demanded that the administration of President-elect Claudia Sheinbaum review its relationship with Israel, pointing to recent policy shifts in some European countries, including Spain, Ireland and Norway.

The group criticised the use of Israeli surveillance and security technologies in Mexico, which they claimed has contributed to the normalisation of repression and dehumanisation. They also condemned academic collaborations between Mexican and Israeli institutions.

"We’re here to name the genocide, to break the silence that so many governments and institutions are choosing to maintain," one academic said during a public reading session.

Throughout the protest, attendees held collective interventions, chanted for a ceasefire, and called for Mexico’s UN delegation to advocate for sanctions against Israel and the countries supplying it militarily or diplomatically.

Gazan family reunites after war

On Saturday, 18 members of the Abed family, the first Palestinian refugees from Gaza to reach Mexico since the escalation of the war in October 2023 arrived at Mexico City International Airport.

Their journey was made possible through coordinated efforts by the civil society group De Gaza a México, and legal support from the Alaíde Foppa Refugee Law Clinic at Universidad Iberoamericana.

The family's arrival followed years of separation and advocacy, particularly by Shadi Abed, who came to Mexico in 2019 and fought to bring his family to safety.

"After losing our homes, our lives, we are starting from zero," said one family member upon arrival. Volunteers greeted them with food, clothing, and support.

Amnesty International Mexico welcomed the family’s arrival, hailing it as a small but significant act of international responsibility. "We recognise the tireless work of ‘De Gaza a México’ and salute Mexico’s diplomatic efforts to guarantee the right to family reunification," the organisation said in a public statement.

Mexico has been criticised over its "limited" role in responding to the Gaza crisis, as the war now enters its 20th. Over 60,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks, thousands wounded, and millions displaced across Gaza, with humanitarian access still restricted.

In March, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum officially received the credentials of Palestinian Ambassador Nadya R. H. Rasheed at the National Palace in Mexico City.