Around 35 attended the 101st vigil in Salisbury and the recognition by passers by was higher than usual.

November 2025

News about Gaza has dropped down the agenda in recent weeks with concerns about prisoners mistakenly being let out of gaol tending to occupy the news agenda. Endless speculation about the budget is also taking up space and the terrible events in Sudan rightly receiving attention. The ceasefire in Gaza and the imminent arrival of the peace force (if Washington is to be believed) has dropped off the agenda. No war, no news.

This could prove to be a big mistake. Pressure is growing on the Israeli government to allow foreign journalists into Gaza is growing especially as one reason given was their safety. Many journalists have died, around 245, the largest death toll in a conflict. The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate has accused the IDF of deliberately targeting journalists who have struggled against great odds to get their stories out. No sign yet that Israel will agree although they did allow limited access to reporters, including the BBC, last week and a brief report was broadcast. The visit was tightly controlled, reporters were not allowed to speak to any Palestinians, and an IDF officer was allowed to speak without being questioned or challenged. Nevertheless, the scenes of total devastation were horrific.

“We survived the war, we may not survive the ceasefire” Sara Awad, a Palestinian journalist in Gaza recently

Will the ceasefire lead to a lasting peace? It is unlikely. Firstly, the territory is still being bombed. There are differing reports about the death toll since the 10 October with Haaretz reporting 38 and Al Jazeera 238. The video above says 245. There is no likelihood of a Palestinian state. West Bank violence continues unabated. Some reports suggest little has changed in terms of food supplies into Gaza.

It is one of the reasons we are continuing with our vigils: to take our eye off the ball at this stage would be a mistake. Much as our government would like protests to stop and the police are busy arresting protestors, awareness of the genocide in the area is greater than ever. This is denied by Israel and an argument against this can be read here. The complicity of our government in the carnage is a story yet to be told and will be the subject of future posts.

A video of the 101st vigil is available thanks to Peter Gloyns for producing it is such quick time. We shall be back next week on 15th. Other information on the Salisbury CND site.

Previous posts:

• November 2025 Human Rights Newsletter Highlights
• Israel proposes death penalty for Palestinians
• Controversial UK Immigration Policies: Public Reaction
• Importance of Human Rights: UK Support for the ECHR
• Florida and Iran: Key Insights from Recent Death Penalty Report