We'll see how many Wake high school students walk out of class today "to express their outrage at on-going US occupations in Palestine, Iraq and Afghanistan."

Organizers say that students from Enloe, Broughton, Sanderson, Green Hope, Wakefield, Wake Forest-Rolesvile, and Athens Drive high Schools will walk out of class at 11:30 a.m. for a noon rally on the State Capital grounds.

Here's the press release that was sent from a group calling itself Muslims of America Joined as One:

UPDATE

The protest drew 10 students. 

Concerns about increasing violence in Gaza are leading universities to cease study abroad programs in Israel, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Locally, Duke University appears to have made the same decision. And at least one Israeli program that UNC Chapel Hill is affiliated with, at Ben-Gurion University, has postponed a program for one week and has posted a security alert to its website.

A couple of more cartoon comments on the situation in Gaza. See what you think of Rex Babin's.

Here are 10 more opinions from readers on the situation in Gaza. There will also be a package of letters appearing in tomorrow's paper.

The situation in Gaza also has been the subject of McClatchy editorial cartooning over the past few weeks.

Two student groups at Duke are sponsoring a candlelight vigil Friday evening related to the conflict in Gaza.

The groups are Duke Against War and Duke's Arab Students Organization.

The vigil begins at 5:30 p.m. in front of Duke Chapel.