A 22-year-old student from Gaza studying at Maastricht University has been suspended after posting a video in which he appeared to suggest that he took part in the October 7 attack on Israel. The university says it cannot determine whether his claim is true, but the footage has triggered an uproar and raised questions about his background and arrival in the Netherlands.
A short video posted on social media has ignited controversy in the Netherlands and placed Maastricht University at the center of a growing public storm.
The controversy involves a 22-year-old student from Gaza who is studying at the university. In footage posted to Instagram, the student is seen watching images connected to the Hamas-led October 7 attack on Israel. As masked gunmen appear on the screen, he points toward the footage and makes a startling statement: “Seventh of October. This is me."
The video was subsequently deleted, but not before it began circulating online and attracting widespread attention in the Netherlands.
At this stage, there is no independent confirmation that the student actually participated in the October 7 attack, and no publicly available evidence has established that the claim implied by his remarks is true. Dutch reports have also stressed that his alleged involvement has not been verified.
The statement itself, however, was enough to prompt immediate action by Maastricht University.
The university temporarily suspended the student, preventing him from attending classes while officials examine the case and determine whether he can continue his studies and, if so, under what conditions.
According to the university, the video and the wave of online reactions that followed created concerns about unrest and a sense of insecurity among students and staff. The institution said the temporary suspension was intended to allow university activities to continue without disruption or intimidation.
University officials also stressed that Maastricht University is not an investigative authority and is therefore not in a position to establish whether the student's apparent claim about October 7 is genuine.
But the controversy extends beyond the video itself.
According to local Dutch outlet De Nieuwe Ster Maastricht, which reported on the case, the student arrived in the Netherlands following a process in which Maastricht University was involved. The outlet reported that on April 8, the university submitted an application for a temporary residence permit on his behalf.
That detail has widened the debate surrounding the case. What began as outrage over a social media post has developed into broader questions about what screening took place before the student's arrival in the Netherlands and what information was available regarding his background.
Dutch media also reported that the student has a significant presence on social media, with tens of thousands of followers on Instagram. Other posts attributed to his account have also come under scrutiny since the controversial video emerged.
The case has now left Maastricht University facing questions that reach far beyond the boundaries of its campus.
What remains unknown is the most important question of all: Was the student revealing something about his own involvement in the October 7 attack, or was the statement a provocative boast with no basis in fact?
For now, there is no verified answer.
But nearly three years after the October 7 massacre, a few words uttered while watching footage of armed men have brought the events of that day into the heart of a Dutch university campus - and triggered a controversy that is unlikely to disappear quickly.