Names of 20,000 children killed in Gaza by Israel to be read aloud at the Senedd

Martin Shipton

In an extraordinary act of remembrance and political opposition, more than 100 people from across Wales are gathering at the Senedd on Wednesday July 16, to read the names of more than 20,000 Palestinian children killed in Gaza since Israel’s brutal assault began.

From 7am until midnight, the steps of the Senedd will become a place of testimony and truth. Each name will be spoken aloud – each one a child, a life, a story cut short by violence. The event, titled “Know Their Names: Action Not Words”, will transform overwhelming statistics into a collective, human cry for justice and accountability.

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Public support

Organised by PSC [Palestine Solidarity Campaign] Cymru and Parents and Teachers for Palestine, the action will send a clear message, say those behind it: public support for Palestine is growing in Wales, and people are no longer willing to accept silence, complicity or empty words from political leaders.

Clive Haswell of PSC Cymru said: “If the deaths of over 20,000 children is not enough for our First Minister and MSs to demand decisive action and end our complicity, I’m truly lost for words.

“UNRWA staff [from the UN relief agency barred from Gaza by Israel] recently visited the Senedd and pleaded with our elected leaders to speak out and use their influence. Their continued silence and inaction kills.”

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Rulings

Despite rulings by the International Court of Justice and arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court, both the UK and Welsh governments have failed to act, say the organisers of the event, who add: “Legal obligations are being ignored. Without consequences, international law becomes meaningless.”

Frankie Finn of Parents and Teachers for Palestine said: “On July 16, we’ll stand outside our national parliament to honour these children, by saying their names.
“Each was precious. Each was innocent. Many died horrific, painful deaths. There were so many of them. They must not be forgotten.”

PSC Cymru is calling on the Welsh Government and Members of the Senedd to:

Publicly acknowledge the scale and horror of what is happening in Gaza;

 Support a full and immediate arms embargo on Israel;

Urge the UK Government to impose targeted sanctions;

Take concrete steps at the devolved level to end Welsh complicity and uphold international law.

Mr Haswell said: “Wales has declared itself a 'globally responsible nation', and says ‘when doing anything to improve the economic, social, environmental and cultural wellbeing of Wales, it takes account of whether doing such a thing may make a positive contribution to global wellbeing’.

“Now is the moment to show what that means.”