The names of 15,000 children killed in Gaza will be read aloud in Berlin tomorrow.
Faced with the German media’s failure to inform, and the subsequent silence surrounding the horrific death tolls of so many innocent victims, we want to speak aloud: our frustration, our outrage, our grief … and those children’s names!
Tomorrow, June 1, Berliners “from all national backgrounds and all religious and political creeds” have been invited to meet in front of the Neue Wache (Germany’s official memorial to “the victims of wars and tyranny,” located the historical center of the capital) to read aloud the names of the more than 15,000 children who have been killed by Israel in Gaza since October 2023.
The uninterrupted public reading, taking place on International Day for Protection of Children, is expected to last 14 hours and will be accompanied by a display of more than 10,000 children’s shoes.
Hundreds of Berliners of all nationalities and backgrounds have already signed up to read between 9am and midnight. If you’re in Berlin, you can book a slot of 5 to 10 minutes ahead of the event (no Arabic skills are required). You can also just drop by on the day to read for a few minutes or simply “join the collective expression of solidarity, human grief, and compassion for the innocent victims of Gaza and their families.”
More than 26,000 children—representing over 2 percent of Gaza’s child population—have been killed or injured since Israel’s assault on the besieged enclave began nearly eight months ago.
More than 19,000 children have been orphaned.
More than 1,000 children have lost one or multiple limbs.
More than 30 children have died of malnutrition and dehydration.
Yesterday, a seven-month-old infant boy named Faiz Abu Ataya died of starvation in Deir Al-Balah at the Al-Aqsa Martyr’s Hospital. Photos of the baby shared online show his bones protruding from his tiny, lifeless body.
According to Human Rights Watch (HRW), the Israeli government is using starvation as a weapon of war in Gaza. Earlier this week, over 50 international rights groups called for an official declaration of famine in Gaza, citing Israel’s blocking of aid and starvation of civilians, which contravenes international law.
Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice.
