GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Several people were hurt Monday night after panic erupted at a candlelight vigil in support of Israel at the University of Florida, campus police said.
Students and members of the Jewish community gathered in Turlington Plaza for a candlelight vigil in support of Israel amid the growing Israel-Hamas conflict.
According to authorities, just before 9 p.m., someone at the vigil fainted. Because of this, several people started asking for someone to call 911. However, the callout for emergency services was "misunderstood by the crowd," leading people to disperse in a panic.
University of Florida police said officers who were in the area "immediately" responded and helped escort the crowd away from the area.
Due to the rush of the crowd, at least five people were hurt in the chaos. Those individuals were treated on campus for minor injuries, police said.
"We have no reason to believe that there was malicious intent behind this incident," Chief Linda Stump-Kurnick said in a statement. "It was an accident that was misinterpreted by the crowd that led to panic."
The war began after Hamas militants stormed into Israel on Saturday, bringing gun battles to its streets for the first time in decades. At least 1,600 lives have already been claimed on both sides, and perhaps hundreds more. Hamas and other militant groups in Gaza hold more than 150 soldiers and civilians hostage, according to Israel.
The conflict is only expected to escalate. Israel expanded the mobilization of reservists to 360,000 on Tuesday, according to the country’s media. After days of fighting, Israel’s military said Tuesday morning that it had regained effective control over areas Hamas attacked in its south, and of the Gaza border.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.