Amid heightened tensions over the Israel-Hamas war, an Israeli student at Columbia University was beaten with a stick on the school campus by another student, according to the New York Police Department (NYPD).

The victim, a 24-year-old student in Columbia’s School of General Studies, was hit with a stick around 6:10 pm on Wednesday, by a 19-year-old female Columbia student, police said.

The NYPD confirmed to The Algemeiner in a statement that the suspect, Maxwell Friedman, of Brooklyn, was arrested and charged with one count of assault.

The Columbia Spectator, a university newspaper, first reported the incident. The victim spoke to The Spectator on the condition that he be only identified by his initials IA, citing fears for his safety.

“This is because [of] me being an Israeli these days,” he said.

IA said he was outside the university library with four other friends and noticed the suspect with a bandana covering her face, ripping off flyers they had put up earlier with names and photos of Israelis that Hamas has reportedly taken as hostages.

When the group approached her, IA said the suspect screamed obscenities toward the students and hit the victim with a stick. IA said he defended himself when the suspect allegedly tried to punch him in the face. After the incident, the victim said that one hand was bruised and his ring finger on the other hand was broken.

The group of students went to Columbia Public Safety, who contacted the NYPD, IA said.

IA told The Spectator that he is not planning to return to campus due to fears of physical safety.