“The cumulative effects of Israel’s conduct in Gaza since 7 October 2023, which compounded the damaging effects of over 58 years of occupation and 18 years of blockade and closure of the strip, created conditions of life incompatible with Palestinians’ continued existence as a group in much of Gaza” – United Nations, Human Rights Overview Report, 18 May 2026

Peace campaigners in Orkney will again be meeting in Vigil on Saturday 30 May, between 1 and 2pm on the Kirk Green, St Magnus Cathedral, Kirkwall. Their determination to hold vigils week after week is borne from compassion for others, a belief in the value of all life, and that a permanent ceasefire accompanied by the unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid into Gaza, is imperative.

The quote heading this article is taken from a report from the Human Rights Office of the United Nations into practices and policies affecting human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem 7 October 2023 – 31 May 2025. As you can see it is already a year on since that report was compiled but what it documents are the atrocities being committed on a civilian population by the state of Israel – the occupying force, and a member of the United Nations.

As the Occupying Power, Israel is obligated to ensure the provision of food, medical supplies and other essential items for the population in the occupied territory, and to facilitate relief schemes by States or impartial humanitarian organizations if the population is inadequately supplied. Attacking or destroying objects indispensable to the survival of the civilian population is also prohibited.

So much horror has been splashed across our screens be it in Gaza, The West Bank, Iran, Lebanon, Ukraine, Sudan and many other areas of conflict around the world that it is all too easy to forget what has happened over recent years and to become anesthetised to the blatant war crimes which are being committed on a daily basis in these theatres of war.

“The cumulative effect of Israeli policies and practices described in this report has also been to consolidate the system of discrimination, oppression, domination and segregation facing Palestinians across the Occupied Palestinian Territory, deepening the denial of the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination.”

The report reminds us of some of the atrocities which have occurred in Gaza:

1. before dawn on 29 October 2024, the Israeli air force struck a five-story residential building in Beit Lahiya, northern Gaza, without warning, killing 133 people and injuring 38 others. All but one of those killed were members of a single extended family, including 37 women (1 of whom was pregnant), 24 girls and 31 boys. – investigation suggests a large air dopped munition was used with wide area effect.
2. from 2 March 2025, Israeli authorities imposed a total ban on the entry of all humanitarian aid and commercial imports to Gaza for almost three months, starving civilians and leaving them without basic medical items and services. Lack of fuel resulted in reduced water production and distribution as well as solid waste collection, heightening health risks.
3. at least 60 Palestinian children reportedly died from malnutrition in Gaza between the escalation of hostilities on 7 October 2023 and 31 May 2025, although the true number of deaths is likely to be much higher.
4. an Integrated Food Security Phase Classification analysis on 15 August 2025 confirmed famine in Gaza Governorate, with projections that it would extend to Deir Al Balah and Khan Younis Governorates in the following weeks
5. between 27 May 2025, when the GHF ( Israeli/US private “Gaza Humanitarian Foundation” started their operation in Gaza, and 8 October 2025, 2,435 Palestinians, mostly young men and boys, were killed by the Israeli military while trying to access food. According to available information, there were no indications that those killed or injured were directly participating in hostilities or posed any imminent threat to life or that such use of force was necessary to prevent serious injury from an imminent threat.

On 21 November 2024, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for the Israeli Prime Minister and the then Defense Minister on the basis that there were reasonable grounds to believe that both were criminally responsible for, inter alia, the war crime of starvation as a method of warfare and, in relation to the blocking of supplies including medicines from entering
Gaza, for the crimes against humanity of murder, persecution and other inhumane acts.

The report also itemises the mistreatment, including sexual violence, of Israeli hostages which were taken by Al Qassam Brigades of Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups and held in Gaza. Violations of the human rights of hostages also occurred during the releases and exchanges negotiated with some hostages being paraded before cameras in a degrading spectacle. Most hostages who died in Gaza died while held in secret detention, either killed by their captors or impacts of the conflict occurring around them.

Hostage-taking is expressly prohibited by Common Article 3 of the Geneva
Conventions as well as Geneva Convention IV, of which it constitutes a grave breach, and amounts to a war crime in both international and non international armed conflicts.

The intensification of unlawful use of force by Palestinian security forces in the West Bank, targeting Palestinians wanted by Israeli security forces is also documented in the report. The training and funding of the Palestinian security forces comes from Israel and the US.

“Palestinian security forces on multiple occasions utilized force that appeared unnecessary or disproportionate, which would render the killings unlawful and a violation of international human rights law.”

Israel is the occupying force and has obligations as such, however the report concludes that the pattern of conduct by Israel has two goals:

1. the collective punishment of Palestinians, including for violations committed by Palestinian armed groups
2. the forced displacement, emptying and ethnic cleansing of large parts of the Occupied Palestinian Territory, which would allow further settlement and annexation.

The violations committed by the Israeli military against civilians were routinely committed.

“Many of these violations amounted to war crimes. They may also constitute crimes against humanity, if committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack against a civilian population.”

The report concludes with a call to Israel, to Hamas and other armed Palestinian groups, and to all States to end the violations of international law. In particular for all States to “uphold their obligation under international law to take action to prevent and punish atrocity crimes, including genocide.”

And to : “end the sale, transfer and diversion of arms, munitions and other military equipment to Israel facilitating violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law in the Occupied Palestinian Territory”

Channel 4 reported in 2025 that the value of UK arms imported by Israel reached a record high value in that year. “Our analysis of Israel Tax Authority customs data finds that Israel imported nearly £1 million worth of UK munitions in the first nine months of the year. That’s more than double the amount received in any of the previous three years.”

The UK provides approximately 15% of the components in the F-35 fighter jets which are used in airstrikes across the occupied Palestinian territory.

Scotland doesn’t have its hands clean in this arms trade to Israel. The Campaign Against Arms Trade, reports that since 2006, £90million has gone through enterprise funding in Scotland to aerospace, defence, marine and space companies.

Click on this link to access the full report, Practices and policies affecting human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem (7 October 2023 – 31 May 2025)

In Orkney, the Peace vigil may be small but its effect is worldwide. It is seen across social media platforms, impressing on our elected politicians that in the Northern Isles of Scotland people do care about their fellow humans in Gaza, and the wider region now under a war of choice instigated by the US and Israel against Iran, and Lebanon. More importantly it is seen by Palestinians in refugee camps, and those who have been displaced to other countries for generations, that here in Orkney we do care – and we see you.

You can find a series of filmed interviews of the Orkney Gaza Vigils on our YouTube Channel. Here is the latest:

Fiona Grahame