Washington DC – Julia Fawzi Saeed Al-Kurd was one year old. She was killed along with several members of her family during an Israeli air raid on Deir al-Balah in central Gaza on October 11.
His name appeared in local reports on the day of the attack and later on a list of people killed in Israeli attacks published by the Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza.
As with thousands of other Palestinians who were wiped out by the Israeli offensive, little is known about Julia beyond her death.
Had she said her first word? Has she taken her first step? What was his favorite toy? What lullaby did his parents sing to put him to sleep?
But in Washington, D.C., some activists are trying to keep the memory of children like Julia alive, with a provocative reminder of the young lives lost during the war in Gaza.
On a chilly Sunday morning in the Capitol Hill neighborhood, activists demonstrated silently, handing out leaflets to passersby. At their feet were a row of small figures wrapped in white shrouds, each spattered with blood – and each bearing the name of an actual child killed in Gaza. Julia’s name was on one of them.
“We are witnessing a genocide in Gaza. End the injustice NOW,” the flyer read, calling for a ceasefire and an end to U.S. military support for Israel.
It was a daily protest in the Washington area, led by an informal group called Die-in for Humanity.
Hazami Barmada organized the protests with the aim of shattering preconceptions about the war in Gaza, by providing a stark reminder of the humanity of those under siege. Barmada, of Palestinian and Syrian descent, estimates the group has distributed more than 14,000 flyers so far.
“The reality is our social media is turning into echo chambers and people are reading the news they want to read,” she said. “So we go to places where the average person walks and try to provoke deeper questions and thoughts about what is happening and greater awareness about what is happening to Palestinians. »
Israeli attacks have killed more than 15,000 Palestinians since October 7, making the war one of the deadliest conflicts for civilians and children in modern history.
When possible, Barmada and his fellow volunteers lie on the ground during protests to mirror the bodies of Palestinians killed in Israeli raids.
“We really hope that people will stop and actually start questioning the consequences of the war, the consequences of approving this with our tax money,” Barmada told Tel Aviv Tribune, making reference to Washington’s military aid to Israel.
She said protesters wanted people to feel “uncomfortable in a controlled environment” in order to spark meaningful conversations.
“It’s really easy to look at statistics online and part with them,” Barmada said.
“Our goal is that when someone walks by with their own children, when you see body bags that have the names and ages of children written on them that are the same age as your children, it provokes a different type of emotional response .”
The group organized so-called “die-in” protests at the White House, the State Department and in various neighborhoods of the US capital.
Part of the group’s goal is to spark questions about the United States’ role in the conflict. President Joe Biden and his top aides have expressed strong support for Israel and Washington has not drawn any “red lines” to limit how Israel can use the military aid it receives, officials say.
Israel, which major rights groups accuse of imposing apartheid on the Palestinians, receives at least $3.8 billion in U.S. aid a year, and Biden is seeking $14 billion in additional aid to the country this year.
Barmada called Biden’s position disappointing, saying the war would be a “stain” on his legacy.
“Their handling of this whole issue has not only fueled fear, it has also dehumanized Palestinians. It also fuels animosity and hatred,” she said.
On Capitol Hill on Sunday, many pedestrians nodded approvingly or gave thumbs up to protesters. But Barmada said the reactions weren’t always positive.
Just a day earlier, protesters were confronted with a racist and profanity-laced tirade from a woman who accused them of terrorism and told Barmada to “go back to whatever fucking country” she was from . A video of this interaction went viral on social media.
Barmada said she tries to absorb such anger and hatred without reacting to it.
She told Tel Aviv Tribune she started the deaths after seeing footage of a Palestinian mother whispering into the ear of her dead child in Gaza. It reminded her of the way she put her own child to sleep.
“All I could imagine at that moment was: What would I do if that was my son?” » she said, struggling to hold back her tears.
Barmada added that her grief inspired her to take action.
“There was no conscious decision. There was no process or plan. It was in this moment of deep despair that I could not ignore my own child. And if I can get people here to see their own children, if I can get people here to see their own humanity tied to these body bags, then to me that’s an achievement.