265 children in Gaza have been killed since the ‘Ceasefire’ of October last year, 2025.

James Elder, of the UN’s Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said that “They were shot, they were bombed, they were struck by quadcopters” operated by the Israeli military. The killings took place in their homes, where they go out to play with their friends, and in the makeshift schools which Palestinian educators have set up in the rubble of their once vibrant communities.

Israel has ‘yellow’ and ‘orange’ lines arbitrarily set up which no Palestinian is permitted to venture into or near, however, to be killed you don’t need to be in these corridors.

James Elder continued:

“You sneeze near the Orange Line and you may well get shot.”

These yellow and orange imposed military corridors shift around for no reason, and are where 90% of the killings take place.

No hospital is fully functioning, and families are living in intolerable conditions trying to keep their children and babies clean.

James Elder said:

“I talk to mothers who have children screaming because they don’t have the clean water to wash [their skin]. Imagine a parent unable to fix that night after night.”

“The scale of human suffering in Gaza being inflicted upon Gaza and enabled by others on Palestinian children, it’s almost beyond comparison in our lifetime.”

Today, Saturday 20 June, islanders in Orkney will be joined by visitors to stand in vigil to raise awareness of the Gaza Genocide, and the 1.1million children who do not have access to clean drinking water, to the 1.2million people whose homes lie in rubble, and to the 1.9million who have had to flee multiple times to seek a place of safety.

The Orkney Gaza Vigil is held on the Kirk Green, outside St Magnus Cathedral between 1 and 2pm. It has been held on Saturday’s since the end of October 2023.

Conflict in Gaza has taken an unconscionable toll on children. More than 64,000 children have reportedly been killed or injured, and homes, hospitals and schools have been destroyed, depriving families of safety and essential services. More than 56,000 children have lost one or both parents, while widespread displacement, malnutrition and trauma continue to shape every aspect of childhood in Gaza. – UNICEF

If you would like to donate to UNICEF click on this link: Children in Gaza need life-saving support

The Orkney News continues to document the Gaza Vigils in our islands. Below is the latest. The Orkney News YouTube Channel has all the films so far recorded.

Fiona Grahame