Students, Ontario Tech reach deal to end protest encampment

Students and administrators at Ontario Tech University in Oshawa say they have reached an agreement to end a pro-Palestinian encampment demonstrating against Israel's military campaign in Gaza.

According to a copy of the agreement circulated to students, the deal was signed Monday and includes a number of commitments from the school if the encampment is taken down within 24 hours.

Administrators say the university will publicly post a report this fall outlining all of its investments and financial holdings.

While the school says "it is not aware of investments in any companies that are benefiting" from the ongoing war in Gaza, it will also establish a working group to review best practices and make recommendations about any future investments.

The protest encampment at the university's north Oshawa campus was set up on May 6, as students at post-secondary institutions across Canada joined U.S. counterparts in demonstrating against the Israel-Hamas war.

Hundreds of students are still camped out on the University of Toronto's downtown campus, as repeated negotiations between encampment leaders and administrators have failed to produce an agreement.

A common demand among student protesters is that the schools divest from companies supplying weapons or other wartime materials to Israel.

In its agreement with students, Ontario Tech University has committed to fund three undergraduate scholarships for Palestinians displaced by the war, beginning in the fall semester.

Administrators have also promised that any students and faculty who participated in the encampment will be protected from "academic and/or employment-based retaliation."

Hamas led a surprise attack on southern Israeli bases and communities on Oct. 7, in which an estimated 1,200 people were killed and some 250 taken hostage, according to Israeli tallies. Some 129 hostages remain captive in Gaza.

Israel has since launched an air, ground and sea assault on the blockaded Palestinian territory, killing more than 35,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities.

The bombardment has displaced most of Gaza's 2.3 million population, laid waste to the coastal enclave and caused a deep humanitarian crisis. Aid agencies have warned repeatedly of widespread hunger and the threat of disease.