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KCL to Reinstate Student Suspended Over Gaza Protests
(MENAFN) King's College London (KCL) will reinstate an Egyptian student suspended over his role in pro-Palestinian demonstrations, CNN reported Thursday.
Usama Ghanem, 22, is set to return to KCL this fall — nearly 18 months after the university indefinitely suspended him and moved to withdraw his visa sponsorship over claims tied to his involvement in student-led pro-Palestinian protests.
According to the report, Ghanem received an email from the university in late August confirming that officials still upheld their finding of non-academic misconduct against him, but also stating that he had committed "no breaches" of the terms of his exclusion. The university told him the conditions of his suspension had been satisfied and that he would be invited to re-enroll for the 2026/27 academic year with full access to campus restored.
In a separate memo sent in early September, the university also confirmed it would move to restore Ghanem's visa sponsorship.
The case reportedly attracted criticism from some academics, who have raised broader concerns that crackdowns at universities in the US and UK disproportionately target Muslim students and students of color over lawful expressions of solidarity with Palestinians and criticism of Israel.
Ghanem told CNN he "unequivocally" rejected the misconduct allegations, and said the review's outcome set "a huge precedent." He said he intends to keep advocating for Palestinian rights and pushing for divestment from weapons manufacturers and other parties he considers complicit in the war in Gaza.
A KCL spokesperson told CNN that the review of Ghanem's suspension had always been scheduled to occur one year after it was imposed, in line with standard university procedure, and that a panel ultimately determined re-enrollment was the appropriate outcome after finding he had met the agreed conditions. The spokesperson said the university strives to apply a "fair approach" to misconduct cases while maintaining its duty to act on breaches of safeguarding and security rules.
The spokesperson added that decisions on visa sponsorship rest with UK Visas & Immigration, not the university itself, though KCL is legally required to notify the agency of any change in a student's status.
Even as Ghanem prepares to resume his studies, a legal case he filed against KCL remains active, alleging breaches of human rights, assault, personal injury, discrimination and harassment by the university.
The developments come against the backdrop of continued violence in Gaza despite a ceasefire in place since October 2025, with Israeli airstrikes, shelling and gunfire persisting across parts of the territory. Palestinian authorities say Israeli forces have killed 1,381 Palestinians since the truce began, in what they describe as repeated ceasefire violations.
Israel's war in Gaza, launched on Oct. 8, 2023, has killed more than 73,000 Palestinians and wounded over 174,000, according to Palestinian figures, with roughly 90% of the enclave's infrastructure reported damaged.
Usama Ghanem, 22, is set to return to KCL this fall — nearly 18 months after the university indefinitely suspended him and moved to withdraw his visa sponsorship over claims tied to his involvement in student-led pro-Palestinian protests.
According to the report, Ghanem received an email from the university in late August confirming that officials still upheld their finding of non-academic misconduct against him, but also stating that he had committed "no breaches" of the terms of his exclusion. The university told him the conditions of his suspension had been satisfied and that he would be invited to re-enroll for the 2026/27 academic year with full access to campus restored.
In a separate memo sent in early September, the university also confirmed it would move to restore Ghanem's visa sponsorship.
The case reportedly attracted criticism from some academics, who have raised broader concerns that crackdowns at universities in the US and UK disproportionately target Muslim students and students of color over lawful expressions of solidarity with Palestinians and criticism of Israel.
Ghanem told CNN he "unequivocally" rejected the misconduct allegations, and said the review's outcome set "a huge precedent." He said he intends to keep advocating for Palestinian rights and pushing for divestment from weapons manufacturers and other parties he considers complicit in the war in Gaza.
A KCL spokesperson told CNN that the review of Ghanem's suspension had always been scheduled to occur one year after it was imposed, in line with standard university procedure, and that a panel ultimately determined re-enrollment was the appropriate outcome after finding he had met the agreed conditions. The spokesperson said the university strives to apply a "fair approach" to misconduct cases while maintaining its duty to act on breaches of safeguarding and security rules.
The spokesperson added that decisions on visa sponsorship rest with UK Visas & Immigration, not the university itself, though KCL is legally required to notify the agency of any change in a student's status.
Even as Ghanem prepares to resume his studies, a legal case he filed against KCL remains active, alleging breaches of human rights, assault, personal injury, discrimination and harassment by the university.
The developments come against the backdrop of continued violence in Gaza despite a ceasefire in place since October 2025, with Israeli airstrikes, shelling and gunfire persisting across parts of the territory. Palestinian authorities say Israeli forces have killed 1,381 Palestinians since the truce began, in what they describe as repeated ceasefire violations.
Israel's war in Gaza, launched on Oct. 8, 2023, has killed more than 73,000 Palestinians and wounded over 174,000, according to Palestinian figures, with roughly 90% of the enclave's infrastructure reported damaged.
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