Gaza Children's Shroud Displayed Near UN Headquarters in New York

A memorial shroud bearing the names of thousands of Palestinian children killed in Gaza was displayed in New York City on Wednesday, as organisers sought to draw attention to the war's toll on children and pressed for an end to the violence.

The Gaza Children's Shroud was created by Doctors Against Genocide, Priests Against Genocide USA, and Justice for All. It was put on view across from the United Nations headquarters.

Dr. Scott Hagaman of Doctors Against Genocide said the shroud carries more than 15,000 names. Organisers say that when complete, it will be six feet wide and longer than a football field. The section on display contained about 6,000 names, which Hagaman described as not even one-third of the children who have died in Gaza.

"We're here at the root of the genocide in the United States in front of the General Assembly, calling for an end to sending bombs that simply kill children and their families to stop that," Hagaman said.

Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian permanent observer to the United Nations, said nothing could bring the dead children back but that much could be done to save the one million children still alive in the Gaza Strip. He called for a permanent and sustained ceasefire, humanitarian assistance including food and medicine, medical care, and the reopening of schools. He also called for reconstruction of Gaza ahead of winter, durable housing, the departure of the Israeli army, and said displacement was not wanted.

Visitors walked alongside the shroud, reading the names and photographs. Nydia Leaf, who signed a child's name to the fabric, said she felt compelled to attend. "Children deserve a better world," she said. "No child deserves what has been done to these infants, teenagers."

Afaf Nasher, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations' New York chapter, said the sheer number of names was difficult to absorb. "You try to, for a moment, imagine what other mothers feel as they're putting their children down to rest in the dirt," she said.