A 69-year-old Jewish man, Paul Kessler, died after getting into an altercation during dueling Israel-Hamas protests in Thousand Oaks, California. Kessler was a pro-Israel protester who was allegedly struck in the head with a megaphone by a pro-Palestinian demonstrator. The incident occurred at the intersection of Westlake Boulevard and Thousand Oaks Boulevard, where simultaneous pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian protests were taking place. Witnesses reported seeing Kessler involved in a physical altercation before falling and striking his head on the ground.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles condemned the attack, describing it as an "antisemitic crime" and demanding safety for the Jewish community. The Council on American-Islamic Relations also denounced the alleged attack and expressed support for the Jewish community, urging everyone to wait for the investigation to be completed before drawing any conclusions.

The Ventura County Medical Examiner's Office classified Kessler's death as a homicide, citing blunt force trauma to the head as the cause of death. The investigation is ongoing, and authorities have not ruled out the possibility of a hate crime. Anyone with information about the incident is urged to contact the Ventura County Sheriff's Office.