Campaigners have marked seven months of weekly vigils for Gaza on Douglas promenade and say they will step up their protest activity in the coming weeks.

The group has gathered every Friday evening since last autumn. At their most recent vigil, members paid tribute to the Global Sumud Flotilla, which set sail from Barcelona and is travelling via Tunis in an attempt to reach Gaza.

Paper boats were laid out on the promenade during a moment of reflection. Organisers described this as an act of solidarity with the international flotilla.

In a statement, the group criticised the Isle of Man Government’s position on the conflict and said it had missed opportunities to distance itself from UK policy.

The statement said: ‘The Isle of Man Government has had three parliamentary opportunities to extricate us from complicity but has chosen to stand firmly in line with the UK’s deliberate assistance. We are going to have to make a lot more noise to show that we do not want to be forever tainted.’

Organisers said they plan to hold a series of demonstrations at key locations and events during the next month. They will call for the Manx government to send what they describe as a clear message of concern about the UK government’s actions.

The campaigners said Chief Minister Alfred Cannan had recently written to the UK government expressing concern about the humanitarian situation in Gaza. However, they said this did not go far enough.

They also referred to the findings of a ‘Gaza Tribunal’ held in London last week, which presented evidence criticising the UK’s role in the conflict.

The statement continued: ‘Sadly, all his letter did was express “concern about the escalating humanitarian crisis in Gaza” and at the same time he endorsed the stated position of the United Kingdom.’

The group’s statement also accused the UK government of supplying arms and logistical support to Israel, and of introducing legislation to restrict public protest.

Phil Matthews, chair of Amnesty International Isle of Man, said: ‘Everyone needs to wake up to what is happening – there are still innocent people that can be saved, but it is too late for all those cruelly slaughtered or seriously maimed when some governments, including ours, chose to stand with Israel.’

The Isle of Man Government has previously said that foreign affairs are a matter for the UK government. In a letter to the Foreign Secretary last month, Mr Cannan said the island was ‘deeply concerned at the escalating humanitarian crisis in Gaza’ and urged the UK to continue to push for a permanent ceasefire.

The Israel-Gaza conflict has intensified over the past year, with heavy civilian casualties reported and widespread damage to infrastructure. International aid agencies have warned of a severe humanitarian crisis, with continuing shortages of food, water and medical supplies.

The weekly Gaza vigils are expected to continue on Douglas promenade on Friday evenings. Campaigners have not yet announced the dates or venues for the additional demonstrations they plan to hold over the next month.