Washington, DC – Julia Fawzi Saeed Al-Kurd was one 12 months outdated. She was killed together with a number of members of her household in an Israeli air raid on Deir al-Balah in central Gaza on October 11.

Her title appeared in native studies on the day of the bombing and afterward a listing of individuals killed in Israeli assaults, launched by the Palestinian well being ministry in Gaza.

As with hundreds of different Palestinians who’ve been worn out within the Israeli offensive, little is publicly recognized about Julia past her demise.

Had she uttered her first phrase? Did she take her first step? What was her favorite toy? What lullaby did her mother and father sing to place her to sleep?

However in Washington, DC, some activists try to maintain the reminiscence of youngsters like Julia alive, with a provocative reminder of the younger lives misplaced through the warfare in Gaza.

On a cold Sunday morning within the Capitol Hill neighbourhood, the activists protested silently, passing out leaflets to passersby. At their ft have been a row of small figures wrapped in white shrouds, every splattered in blood — and every bearing the title of an actual youngster killed in Gaza. Julia’s title was on one in every of them.

“We’re witnessing a genocide in Gaza. Finish the injustice NOW,” the flyer learn, urging a ceasefire and an finish to United States army help for Israel.

The protest was one in every of every day demonstrations throughout the Washington space led by a casual group known as Die-in for Humanity.

Hazami Barmada organised the protests in an effort to interrupt by means of pre-conceived notions concerning the Gaza warfare, with stark reminders of the humanity of these underneath siege. Barmada, who’s of Palestinian and Syrian descent, estimates the group has handed out greater than 14,000 flyers to date.

“The fact is our social media turns into echo chambers and folks learn the information they need to learn,” she mentioned. “So we go into locations the place your common individual is strolling round and attempt to provoke deeper questions and reflections on what’s taking place and extra consciousness about what’s taking place to Palestinians.”

Israeli assaults have killed greater than 15,000 Palestinians since October 7, making the warfare one of many deadliest conflicts for civilians and kids in fashionable historical past.

The place attainable, Barmada and her fellow volunteers lie on the bottom throughout protests to reflect the our bodies of Palestinians killed in Israeli raids.

“We actually hope that individuals will cease and truly begin to query the toll of warfare, the toll of endorsing this with our tax {dollars},” Barmada informed Al Jazeera, referring to Washington’s army help to Israel.

She mentioned the protesters need to make folks really feel “uncomfortable inside a managed atmosphere” with the intention to spark significant conversations.

“It’s very easy to see statistics on-line and to divorce your self from it,” Barmada mentioned.

“Our aim is when somebody walks by with their very own youngsters, if you see physique baggage with youngsters’s names and ages written on them which are the identical age as your youngsters, it provokes a unique sort of emotional response.”

The group has held so-called die-in protests on the White Home, State Division and numerous neighbourhoods all through the US capital.

A part of the group’s aim is to immediate questions concerning the US position within the battle. President Joe Biden and his high aides have expressed staunch help for Israel and Washington has not drawn any “crimson strains” to restrict how Israel can use the army help it receives, in line with officers.

Israel, which main rights teams accuse of imposing apartheid on Palestinians, receives not less than $3.8bn in US help yearly, and Biden is looking for $14bn in further help for the nation this 12 months.

Barmada known as Biden’s stance disappointing, saying that the warfare might be a “stain” on his legacy.

“Their dealing with of this whole problem has not solely fuelled fear-mongering, it’s additionally dehumanised Palestinians. It’s additionally fuelled animosity and hatred,” she mentioned.

On Capitol Hill on Sunday, many pedestrians nodded approvingly on the protesters or gave them a thumbs up. However Barmada mentioned the reactions weren’t at all times optimistic.

Only a day earlier, the protesters confronted a profanity-laden, racist tirade from a lady who accused them of terrorism and informed Barmada to “return to no matter f***ing nation” she got here from. A video of that interplay has gone viral on social media.

Barmada mentioned she tries to soak up such anger and hatred with out reacting to it.

She informed Al Jazeera that she began the die-ins after seeing footage of a Palestinian mom whispering in her lifeless youngster’s ear in Gaza. It reminded her of how she places her personal youngster to sleep.

“All I might think about in that second was: What would I do if that was my son?” she mentioned, struggling to carry again the tears.

Barmada added that her sorrow made her spring into motion.

“There was no acutely aware resolution. There was no course of or plan. It was in that second of deep despair, I couldn’t unsee my very own youngster. And if I can get folks right here to see their very own youngsters, if I can get folks right here to see their very own humanity tied to those physique baggage, then that to me is a hit.”