(MENAFN) Israel’s ambassador to Senegal, Yuval Waks, was compelled to exit Cheikh Anta Diop University (UCAD) in Dakar on Tuesday after student-led demonstrations erupted in response to his visit, according to video clips circulating widely on social media.

Waks had been scheduled to participate in a conference on international relations at UCAD, Senegal’s leading academic institution. However, his arrival triggered a wave of student protests outside the venue. Demonstrators chanted slogans including “Free Palestine,” “Free Gaza” and “Israel is a war criminal.”

Footage posted online shows students waving Palestinian flags and jeering at Waks, effectively disrupting the event and preventing him from delivering his planned remarks.

Security personnel intervened to escort the ambassador off the premises, and he departed the campus without addressing attendees.

Protesters reportedly continued following him as he left, still chanting and brandishing Palestinian flags.

In addition to his role in Senegal, Waks serves as Israel’s non-resident ambassador to several West African nations, including Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Cape Verde, and Chad. He officially presented his diplomatic credentials to Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye on May 8.

Since March 2, Israel has blocked the flow of food, medicine, and humanitarian assistance into Gaza, intensifying a dire humanitarian emergency, according to findings from governments, human rights organizations, and international reports.

Despite mounting global pressure for a ceasefire, Israel has maintained a relentless military campaign in Gaza since October 2023, resulting in the deaths of more than 54,000 Palestinians—primarily women and children.

In November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, citing alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Gaza.

Separately, Israel is also the subject of a genocide case at the International Court of Justice, accused of committing atrocities against civilians in the embattled territory.

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