Peaceful dialogue is the only way to address the concerns of students protesting around the world in solidarity with the people of Gaza amid the war between Israel and Hamas, a US economist and Columbia University scholar said.

Professor Jeffrey Sachs made the remarks after pro-Palestinian protests that first began at Columbia University in New York City spread across some 140 campuses in the US, and subsequently reached Europe, Australia and India.

There have been calls to stop the war and for universities to divest and cut ties with Israel.

"These are protests against an ongoing brutal war that Israel is waging in Gaza. And I think the protests in one form or another are going to continue and perhaps intensify if this war continues this way. So students are just seeing injustice and cruelty, and they are responding to it," Sachs told RTHK.

He said while different schools have handled the protests in different ways, the use of violence to clamp down on demonstrators will only make matters worse.

"Some universities responded very calmly, discussed with the students, the students appreciated the discussions, and the crisis was averted," he said.

"In other cases, the universities called in the police right away. And this escalated the tensions, and I think did unnecessary damage."

The scholar highlighted the importance for school administrators to listen to the students and set up designated areas for demonstrations.

"Students want respect. They're open for discussion. Administrators are right to keep the universities properly functioning, but that leaves a lot of room for peaceful discussion, deliberation and agreements," he said.