Priests in Rome march with shrouds bearing names of 300 Gaza children

An unusual protest was held in the Italian capital Rome, where Christian priests marched through the streets to pay tribute to children killed in Gaza. The march was organised by a group called Priests Against Genocide. Participants carried white burial shrouds inscribed with the names of about 300 children.

Through this symbolic protest, an attempt was made to draw the world's attention to the children who lost their lives in the conflict in Gaza, the occupied West Bank and Lebanon. Clergy, nuns and other activists taking part in the march held up these large white cloths bearing the children's names.

Organisers said the initiative was carried out to convey the message that deaths in the war are not just numbers, but that every person who died had their own identity and their own family. Through the march, voices were also raised against the ongoing war in the Middle East, including Gaza, the killing of civilians and the use of weapons.

The clergy taking part in the protest demanded peace and protection of civilians. They claimed that violence continued even during the ceasefire, and appealed to the international community to take the situation seriously.

Israel has been attacking the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023, and as of September 23, two years and eleven months have passed since the attack began. Many countries believe this to be one of the world's biggest genocides, although some countries continue to stand with Israel. A large number of women and young children, who had no direct connection to the conflict, have lost their lives in the attack, killed simply for being Palestinian. More than half of Gaza has been completely destroyed due to the attack, and aid from outside has also been blocked, causing many deaths from starvation.

The International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant against Netanyahu over the violence.