Thousands gather in Italy to commemorate Palestinian children killed in Gaza

Hundreds gathered Friday in Milan to commemorate Palestinian children killed in the Gaza Strip, carrying a symbolic shroud bearing thousands of names through the city center, according to Radio Popolare.

The demonstration began in front of the Duomo di Milano, where participants unfurled a 27-meter (99-foot) long shroud displaying the names of 18,457 Palestinian children killed in Gaza between Oct. 7, 2023, and July 31, 2025.

Before the shroud was unveiled, protesters stood in silence in the square.

Palestinian flags and keffiyehs were visible throughout the gathering.

Organizers described the shroud as a symbol of the children killed during the conflict.

The initiative was first launched after an Italy-Israel football match in October 2024 and has since been displayed in more than 30 public squares across the country.

Participants carried the symbolic shroud from the cathedral square toward Castello Sforzesco in a silent march to commemorate the victims and protest Israel's military campaign in Gaza.

Israel's genocide in Gaza since October 2023 has killed nearly 73,000 Palestinians and injured more than 173,000, most of them women and children, according to Palestinian figures.

Despite a ceasefire that took effect Oct. 10, 2025, the Israeli army has killed 947 Palestinians and injured 2,935 in near-daily attacks, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.