Children No More: Were and Are Gone (2025)

[bunniefuu]

They're all from the past month.

And a candle.

"Ahmed Abu Sief, 9 yrs old.

Was and is no more, May 7, 2025"

"Rital Abu Sneina, 13 yrs old.

Was and is no more"

"April 3, Dar al-Arqam School, Gaza"

This week we will stand again

in memory of the girls and boys

who were m*rder*d by Israel in Gaza

and in protest against

the ongoing m*ssacre in Gaza.

We will stand with the photos

of the children and candles.

We stand in silence

and don't chant slogans.

We ask everyone

to take two minutes

We ask everyone

to take two minutes

and look at the photo

of the boy or girl you're holding.

Read what's written about them,

and be fully present in this moment.

"Moram El Forwano. Was and is no more,

April 3, 2025, Dar ol-Arqom School, Gaza"

"Her two sisters were k*lled a year ago"

"Ahlam Muhammad Syam, 3 yrs old.

Was and is no more, April 17, Khan Yunis"

Muhammad Ramz Al-Jadi.

He was k*lled two days ago

in al-Bureij Camp near the park.

It saddens me that I don't know

how old he was,

or the circumstances of his death.

In al-Bureij,

I still need to check

if on that day, July 8th,

there was an attack on al-Bureij.

That's the first cross-check I do.

Nother cross-check happens retroactivel

with the [Gazan] Health Ministry,

which has some delay in reporting.

For me, they're the source,

because they attach ID numbers.

They are currently

the most reliable source

for "were and are no more."

Muhammad Bilal Muflah

Abu Shamla, 13 years old.

This is from three days ago.

These are pictures the families upload.

Ghazal means doe.

Some of the children I find

are children who were k*lled

a few days ago,

a week, two weeks.

There is not always a picture.

The first thing I see is a name

or a picture, unfortunately,

of them... k*lled.

I wait for the picture of them

alive to be posted, and if not...

Then no, they don't appear

in the demonstration.

Unfortunately, that's the case

for most of them.

Hazal Ismail Mahmud Abu Layla, 7 yrs ol

Was and is no more, June 20, Gaza"

"Muhammad Bilal Muflah, 13 yrs old.

Was and is no more, July 7, al-Bureij"

"Muhammad Ramz AI-jadi.

Was and is no more, July 8, al-Bureij"

"We refuse to be part of their w*r"

"Daughter of the Mekdad family"

"Was and is no more, April 17, jabaliya"

"Maryam Ali Abu Dakaa.

Was and is no more"

The vigil is not

intended to provoke.

It's so people take it in

and take it home with them.

How can you argue in the face

of a boy or girl who was m*rder*d?

The only way to make a change

is for people to look inwards

and understand that something

very, very dark is going on,

that goes against all the

principles of humanity, ofjudaism.

Our goal is...

to awaken something inside.

"Yehia Abu Arkod. Was and is no more,

May 26, al-Bureij"

The reason we do this

within the protests

is to say that it goes hand in hand.

We shouldn't stop the w*r

only because of the hostages.

That's important, but also

are causing,such harm to another peopl

It's not either/or.

We'll take another moment

in silence, before moving on.

We invite you to join the protest

of the families of the hostages.

Take a few more moments to

return the signs and candles to the cart.

There are all kinds

of anti-government protests.

The power of the Saturday vigils

is that it creates dialogue.

But the question is,

if we expand it,

where can it have the impact

we want it to have?

Do we want to keep going to places

where people are

more in our favor?

Personally, I don't think

that should guide us,

but rather where it

can have an impact.

I don't think they're

in our favor.

They're just more open to it

because they're already

critical of the government.

And the w*r isn't

bringing the hostages back.

So in that space,

we can introduce

empathy for Palestinian grief as well.

Right now, there's a very

strong attempt to create division

between the hostage protest

and those opposing the genocide.

Here are those who

oppose the genocide

and here are those who

oppose this and that.

Let's just not play into that.

Let's prove that it's possible

to feel compassion for all.

Do you know how to lead us

to the b*mb shelter?

I'll open the door for passersby.

These are stickers.

These are children who

died while we were in our shelters,

in Israel, in Tehran,

in Gaza, in the West Bank.

These are children who

died while we were in our shelters.

Put them up all over town.

A huge thank you to

those who came today.

I'll share that we came up with

today's activity during the w*r with Iran.

We still feel there's room

to gather after two and a half

very, very hard weeks

to gather after two and a half

very, very hard weeks

that we all went through.

And yet let's not forget that this is...

a grain of sand compared to what

Gazans have been

going through in the last 20 months.

After we light the candles, we'll march

to the Likud party headquarters,

and we'll place this memorial

on the front steps of the building.

Just an update, we will do it

across the street.

The police are already on their way.

We can't do it on the steps,

so we'll do it across the street, okay?

"Taha Baharozi and Alison Jabari.

ere and are no more, June 22, Tabriz, Iran

"Mahmoud, Yazen and their cousin.

Were and are no more, June 22, Gaza"

ara Hajmari, 8 yrs old. Was and is no mor

June 15, Iran. Was a gymnast."

Here's another family

that was wiped out,

a mother and her five children.

And that happened yesterday.

It says here that Mina, Atli and

Aboud were pulled out from the rubble,

Mira, Rinal and the grandfather

are still buried under it.

I'm searching for information

on who this family is.

Here, here.

Thejuda family.

Al-Shati Camp is west of Gaza City.

Ten people were k*lled in an air strike,

f among t-hem a mother,

a grandfather and five children.

The last name isjuda.

"Min a, Ali, Abud, Mira, Rina! and

Muhammad Hussein judo.

Were and are no more,

July 9, al-Shati"

Please keep in mind that

this is a silent vigil.

If people come and try to provoke you,

please don't respond and let the

peacekeepers do their job, okay?

"Ava Omar al-Qudra, 1 year old.

Was and is no more, May 7, Khan Yunis"

How much blood, how many tears

before the tyrant disappears?

We won't stop until everybody's back!

We won't stop until everyb0dy's back!

Stop the k*lling, stop the pain,

bring the hostages home again!

If there's no deal, we'll halt the country,

this is the last chance!

"Daana Khattab. Was and is no more,

along with her parents, March 20, Gaza"

cg I {

; a'

One of the first victims after March 18th

was a baby named Benan.

She was a few months old,

and in the first pictures of her,

she was wear in a canesie with rainbews.

And the contrast between the rainbows

and the innocence of the very

colorful outfit and her dead body...

and paradoxically I felt relieved

when I found her name - Benan.

F\\

I can give her a name.

I can give her

space... dimensionality.

She's not just a picture

of an anonymous girl.

She's a baby dressed

in a rainbow outfit,

who was and is no more.

She haunts me.

We don't know

who most of them are.

So we don't mention them at all.

We only show children with

pictures of them before they died.

There are many

who don't get commemorated

or the attention

the other kids get.

We tried to think of an image

that could represent all these children.

And a colorful field of flowers

came to mind.

.- Bearing witness

is also really important.

We do it all the time for

Holocust survivors. Telling their story,

"Never again."

We need to learn from the past.

Even my parents, who are Zionists

and immigrated after the Holocaust,

always said, "never compare,"

like it was obvious, so...

Yes, I think it finally hit home,

that this is what's happening.

Ahmad Muhammad Zaki al-Na jar, 4 yrs ol

Was and is no more, May 15, Gaza City"

"jumaa Musab jam a a el-Hur, 6 yrs old.

Was and is no more, April 26, Gaza City"

Thank you all

for joining us today.

We'll stand in front

of the protest happening here.

We'll stand in front

of the protest happening here.

We'll probably hear many speeches

that won't mention

what's happening in Gaza -

the starvation,

the mass k*lling...

We are here to make that visible.

In the last rnbnth alone,

1,000 children were k*lled.

Most- ciif t-he children who died in Gaza,

not eMem a phete remains of them.

Most of the childreflead' in GaZ"&?1e;I % ee5i

not even a photo remains of them.

"17, 921 children were m*rder*d in Gaza.

ost of them left no trace, not even a phot

Enough. Stop. Bring the hostages home.

ring our soldiers amd our reservists horn

End the w*r now!

I support merging the two protests.

We should have stayed a

few more minutes at the end.

It would have created

more antagonism, but also

the interaction we need,

in my opinion.

In terms of the current

momentum in public discourse,

standing here really does matter.

I think a lot of people

who came to the protest joined us.

We're here to say: you're

against the w*r for this and that reason.

Be against the w*r also because

we've been slaughtering

Gazans for almost two years

So I think, yes,

this is getting through.

And more than 1,000 people

are joining us.

I felt that within the protests,

we've reached a point where

we've reached those people.

They believe and are with us,

and are cheering us on.

It felt like we need

to set ourselves goals.

And the goal this week was to go out

and speak to the public.

The voice of Gaza doesn't exist in society.

Someone needs to bring it here.

5,589 children aged O to 5

have been k*lled.

42,301 children have been orphaned.

18,592 children k*lled in total.

Today for the first time

we're at this location,

which is much more

exposed to passersby.

There might be more confrontations.

If a violent situation starts,

please do not inflame the situation.

Do not shout and do not act violently.

If there is a concern around the

safety of the vigil, we will disperse.

We hope that the vigil

will be peaceful,

will reach everyones heart,

and give space

to our cry against genocide.

"Hassan Azzam. Was and is no more.

Along with his mother and grandfather,

July 29, al-Zaytoun"

Shame on you!

What about the Israelis?

You bunch of b*stards!

You are our enemies.

You're not one of us anymore.

There are hostages in Gaza.

hat's more important than Gazan childre

You dare to protest here

because no one is opposing you.

Let's see you go protest in Gaza.

They'll sh**t you in the face.

Sons of b*tches, b*stards!

Go to Gaza!

You sit here enjoying

the benefits of Israel.

Go to Gaza!

You think they care that you're leftists?

You idiots!

My friend got blown up with

his whole team by a b*mb, you idiot!

You son of a b*tch!

Son of a wh*re!

He got k*lled by a b*mb

because of people like you, you wh*re!

It's hard. The whole

country is traumatized.

What are you trying to do here?

We are trying to call attention

to the suffering and k*lling.

You guys are so pathetic.

You're pitiful.

Shame on you!

Shame on you!

Yeu should be ashamed.

Y@u're a disgrace to this country!

A bunch of ungrateful, pathetic people!

You make me sick!

Hmad Muhammad Issa. Was and is no m0

July 27, al-Bureij"

It's hard for me

to understand this.

Why?

- | t's hard, you know...

To understand what?

-It's a bloody w*r.

There's no solution.

With God's help, we'll flatten all of Gaza...

Amen! Flatten Gaza!

Show both sides.

Show the hostages who are...

Did you see the video today?

Did you see the pictures?

Why don't they have

those pictures too?

WhY Only this?

You're young.

They're brainwashing you, why?

Not one picture of a hostage!

One picture!

You're a grandmother.

If your grandson was there,

would you hold his picture or not?

You make me sick!

You wanted this?

You got yelled at.

I'm allowed to yell.

-But we talked.

I don't care, move away from me.

Listen to me, it's getting a bit heated.

Maybe we should wrap this up.

We'll start packing up.

Friends, please disperse

in groups of three

and not alone, thank you.

There's a rumor people might

act violently towards us,

and I don't want...

Why are you packing up?

Because it's becoming too dangerous

and we can't control it.

We can't control what's happening.

It's too dangerous.

My friend got blown up with his team!

What is this?

It's all good, brother.

-What is this?

I'm Moriah, we are...

-You're the organizer?

No, there are many organizers.

I'm part of...

So you're part of the protest I got

a picture of, right?

What's your ID number?

So you're wrapping things up now?

Is there a problem?

No, but did you

get a permit to...

No, a silent protest

doesn't require a permit.

How many people were there?

n't know, but it still doesn't require a per

No political speech and no procession.

Just a silent protest.

Okay, so you're done? -Yes.

-Thank you, goodbye.

Thank you, good evening.

This does not come at the

expense of the hostages' families

r the children who were m*rder*d here.

One m*rder does not justify another,

and our injustice is not a weapon

that can be used to

wipe out entire families.

It will take generations to

understand the denial we're in.

Thinking about w*r

crimes we're. committing,

it's a crazy dissonance.

It's a dissonance that

can't even be contained,

so better not to.

just take a very clear position:

"No, it can't be."

It actually strikes at the heart

of our values.

The basic assumption is

that we are the victims,

that we are moral.

But the first reaction,

when there are cracks

in what we grew up on,

is to seal the cracks.

That's denial.

"Abdullah Ramzi Mukades.

Was and is no more, July 7"

You guys are delusional.

Our soldiers are pWF-'otecting you,

getting injured.

Ur hostages are there and you're for Gaz

You don't notice that we're...

All the humanitarian aid deliveries

we give them, Hamas takes it.

You're delusional

"18,592 boys and girls I ' I

H were m*rder*d m Gaza

It didn't' just hafiapen.

We didn't decide GJIFIE day

to just g k*ll children.

No way.

They brought it on themselves.

So first things is to be connected

to reality, not detached.

- It's sad-and painful, but...

- In theory you're right,

but it's detached from reality.

You're all out of touch.

In an ideal world you'd be right.

In the real world, you're wrong.

All of you.

What about our pain?

First of all, the pain of your people.

First of all!

You're all a bit confused.

There's a peint- to understanding you,

but you're very wrong.

We need to be realistic, buddy.

Look at things as they are.

The protest's purpose

is to make present

the huge number of children

k*lled in Gaza since March.

But people know.

They're not stupid.

Everyone knows

children are dying in Gaza.

Everyone knows

Gazans are dying.

No one thinks death is right.

You'd be surprised.

It's better to protest

against the government,

that, I can understand.

I think it creates division and dissonance.

There's no empathy here.

It's just divisive.

We must respect the will

of this group and mine too,

to also make present in the public space

in Israel the huge number

of Palestinian children that we k*lled.

Of Palestinian children that we k*lled.

We k*lled them.

Let's deal with our country.

-That's what we're doing.

An action within our country,

whose goal is to show in our country

the atrocities that we,

that our country is committing,

and that we are responsible for

and complicit in.

It does not

undermine in any way

the atrocities Hamas

committed against us.

We don't want our moral

perceptions to be dictated

by a m*ssacre

Hamas carried out.

That would mean

having the same approach.

I cannot accept that.

But that's the reality.

-Good luck to you.

Thanks

"18, 700 boys and girls

were m*rder*d in Gaza"

Most of them left no trace,

not even a photo"

Shame!

Shame!

We still have hostages in captivity!