An 18-year-old from Beverly Hills, Edan On, who was captured on video brutally attacking pro-Palestinian students at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), has reportedly joined the Israeli military.

On was a central figure in the violent mob assault on a pro-Palestinian encampment at UCLA on April 30, 2024, Drop Site, an independent news website, reported.

Widely circulated footage shows a masked individual in a white hoodie repeatedly striking protesters with a pole.

The attack, carried out by pro-Israeli counter-protesters armed with fireworks, gas irritants, and blunt objects, targeted students and faculty for hours. Witnesses reported that private security guards and campus police stood by without intervening.

At the time, US media described the incident as a coordinated assault by external agitators.

On was arrested on May 23, 2024, in Beverly Hills and charged with felony assault with a deadly weapon. He was held in Los Angeles County Jail on $30,000 bail, marking the first arrest linked to the UCLA violence.

However, in June 2024, the Los Angeles County District Attorney declined to prosecute On, citing insufficient evidence for a conviction.

Protesters had established an encampment on the UCLA campus, demanding that the university divest from Israel over the war on Gaza. 

After the violent clashes on April 30, Edan On’s mother publicly commented online about her son’s involvement in the incident.

The following day, US riot police dismantled the pro-Palestinian protest camp at UCLA. 

During the pre-dawn raid, led by a phalanx of California Highway Patrol officers equipped with shields and batons, at least 200 pro-Palestinian protesters were arrested.

The latest developments come as the administration of President Donald Trump fights to deport students who support the Palestinian people.

In some cases, international students have been forced to leave the country after university sanctions prevented them from meeting their student visa requirements.