The campus protests have posed a major challenge to university administrators across the country with claims that the rallies have veered into anti-Semitism and hate speech.

The alleged reports have deliberately been used as a pretext to restrict freedom of speech and justify police brutality against protests in solidarity with Gaza.

Police have carried out a series of violent crackdowns at universities in recent days, at times using chemical irritants and tasers to disperse demonstrators.

The crackdowns have prompted several school faculties to condemn university presidents, who have called in law enforcement to remove protesters.

In its statement, Northeastern said campus police backed by local law enforcement moved in Saturday to clear "an unauthorized encampment" on the campus.

It added that detained individuals who produced a valid school ID have been released and will face disciplinary proceedings, not legal action.

"Those who refused to disclose their affiliation were arrested," the school said.

Tensions were also escalating Saturday at the University of Pennsylvania, where the college president ordered a campus encampment to be disbanded immediately citing alleged reports of harassment.

Meanwhile, Columbia University in New York, where the protests originated, announced Friday that it would not be calling police back to campus after more than 100 people were arrested last week.

Israel's war on Gaza, now in its sixth month, has killed at least 34,388 people, mostly women and children.

Israel's siege has pushed more than half of the population to the brink of famine, with people in north Gaza already living under "famine-like conditions."

*This story has been edited by Ahram Online