Over 20 000 Palestinian Children Killed Remembered in Hilliard
Columbus, Ohio — At Hilliard Station Park, thousands of names echoed through the air as local residents gathered in a solemn ceremony to honor over 20,000 Palestinian children who lost their lives since October 7, 2023, in the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.
Beginning at 8 a.m. on October 11, community members took turns reading each child’s name every 15 minutes — a symbolic gesture to humanize the devastating loss. “Each name represents a child who had dreams, hopes, and a future,” said event organizer Nesha Usmani, emphasizing the importance of remembrance and empathy.
Fellow organizer Sharay Syed spoke on the emotional weight of the event, noting the painful imagery shared online by families in Gaza. “There’s no political explanation for a child’s life being taken by war,” she said.
The vigil followed a ceasefire declaration by the Israel Defense Forces on October 8, marking a significant pause in the two-year conflict. However, despite the ceasefire, community leaders acknowledged that thousands more victims remain unaccounted for under rubble and destruction, bringing the total death toll to over 67,000.
This was not the first remembrance of its kind. The organizers first held a public name-reading event on September 20 at Bridge Park in Dublin, Ohio. After 11 hours, only a quarter of the names had been read, reflecting the magnitude of the tragedy.
The October 11 vigil concluded with an interfaith prayer organized by Baladna: Palestine Society of Columbus, where approximately 100 participants gathered to express solidarity and call for global awareness.
Board member Noura Dabdoub shared her personal connection to Palestine and urged continued attention: “Even if the ceasefire holds, families will still be recovering — pulling remains from the rubble for years.”
Dr. Luma Ghalib, a physician at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, reminded attendees of the broader human lesson: “We must not forget. History has shown us too many tragedies. This should be the moment we choose compassion over conflict.”
The event closed with a shared vow among attendees that while the world may move on, Columbus will never forget the children lost to war.
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