Our conference like no other, Gaza Tribunal conclusion, Umm Al-Khair threat

Photo: ICAHD UK Annual Conference - 1 Nov 2025

ICAHD UK Annual Conference A Conference like no other

Conference attendee Steve Jack summarised our 2025 Conference held on 1 November 2025 as follows: As a first-time attendee at the ICAHD UK Conference in London last Saturday, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect.

For one thing, I’d never attended a conference in a church. But the location for this one – Bloomsbury Central Baptist Church on Shaftesbury Avenue – was not only a place of great beauty, but also a venue steeped in history, being the location of Martin Luther King's speech on his first visit to London during the civil rights movement, that seemed to befit such a gathering.

We were there, after all, to contemplate the desperately difficult way ahead for Palestinian justice, freedom and sovereignty. And to address, as the day’s theme demanded, “the urgency of the political moment”, given the fragile ‘ceasefire’ in Gaza, after more than two years of genocide and ethnic cleansing.

The darkness – and undeniable horror – of the subject matter was, however, illuminated by contributions from an array of brilliant speakers, who each shed light on different aspects of our combined struggle; and also by a palpable sense of warmth and generosity of spirit, as we each strove to make this a day of greater understanding and shared purpose.

I came away under no illusions about the enormity of the task we face. But having visited Palestine for the first time on an ICAHD Study Tour this spring, and after absorbing the messages and the atmosphere of this unique event, I feel renewed enthusiasm and determination about the challenges that lie ahead. Catch up on the contributions from our guest speakers

John and Penny Leigh-Brown, Huntington

“What an excellent conference. Sorry not to be with you in person but I got a lot from the live stream and look forward to the recording.” Rev Dr Sue Parfitt, Bristol

Photo: A Palestinian child looks over what is left from his home, 22 October 2025, At Tur, East Jerusalem photo by OCHA oPT

Although there were fewer demolitions in October due to the Jewish holidays, any demolition in violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention is one too many. So far for 2025, Israel’s demolition of Palestinian homes and structures vital for living has reached record levels and resulted in significant displacement. Israel says that the demolitions happen because the Palestinians did not have a building permit for construction. However, Israel rarely grants permits to Palestinians meanwhile it allows Israeli construction, even for the settlements which are illegal under international law. This is yet another example of Israel’s apartheid policies that systematically oppress Palestinians both within the Occupied Palestinian territories and in the state of Israel. The goal is to maintain Jewish Israeli domination over Palestinians. Read the full Demolition & Displacement Report here Umm Al-Khair Demolition Orders Photo: Members of the Israeli army arrive in Umm al Khair on 28th October 2025

Umm Al-Khair, a Palestinian community in Masafer Yatta (the South Hebron Hills) with whom ICAHD has close ties, remains vulnerable to imminent demolitions and forced displacement following the arrival of members of the Israeli army and the civil administration who distributed 14 demolition orders on Tuesday, 28^th October 2025.

The community consists of 35 extended families who have lived there since their expulsion from their lands in the Negev during the Nakba.

The community has long suffered from extreme settler violence (our friend Awdah Al-Hathaleen was shot and killed by settler Yinon Levy on 28^th July) and for years the residents have suffered periodic demolitions. Now the goal is to hasten its total erasure for the expansion of Israel’s illegal settlement of Carmel. During September, its settlers erected an outpost in the centre of Umm Al Khair and although the Jerusalem District Court issued a temporary injunction to stop construction and bar settlers from entering the outpost, the order is not enforced.

The intensified harassment and threat of demolitions is terrifying for the community. Legal action has been sought and, in the meantime, to help save this community, international response is urgently needed. Israel’s expansion of settlements, demolition of Palestinian homes and property, and forced displacement is a war crime as concluded in July 2024 by the International Court of Justice. Raise awareness of Umm Al-Khair wherever possible. View our webinar with Khalil Al Hathaleen from Umm Al-Khair recorded in September 2025.

Write to your MP to demand that Israel is held to account and stopped from demolishing the community of Umm Al-Khair.

The session culminated with the powerful moral findings from the Jury of Conscience that accused Israel of genocide. In addition, the panel of judges condemned Israel for the crimes of starvation and famine, domicide, ecocide, reprocide and scholasticide.

The opening and closing statements were given by the Gaza Tribunal president and former UN special rapporteur on Palestine, Prof Dr Richard Falk. He spoke powerfully on how this global, independent initiative is a milestone in the Palestinian struggle for liberation.

He ended by calling on people of conscience everywhere to intensify their efforts to secure justice for the Palestinian people, through increased and coordinated efforts to isolate the Israeli regime, reject its normalization, and to hold it to account through boycotts, divestment, sanctions, military embargoes, criminal prosecutions of perpetrators and complicit actors, civil actions against those benefitting from harms, education of our neighbours, public protest and civil disobedience, and the amplification of calls for a free Palestine.

The Gaza Tribunal is a valuable resource containing evidence to be used as we present our arguments in our calls for truth and justice.

Photo: Linda and Jeff with Richard Falk, Ahmet Koroglu and Hilal Elver from the Gaza Tribunal Steering Committee

Jeff Halper, Director, ICAHD, and Avi Shlaim, ICAHD UK patron, were amongst those who spoke at the final session of the Gaza Tribunal, and they were supported by Linda and Sue from the ICAHD UK executive committee. The event provided an exceptional historic opportunity for us hear the presentations and to gather with many colleagues of long-standing and to meet people new to us who are also involved in the struggle thus collaborations will continue. More news from the Tribunal about our engagement with attendees will be posted to the ICAHD website.

Many thanks for your ongong support. If you're not already a member of ICAHD UK, please join usor make a donation to enable our campaign to spread at this critical time in history.

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