The names of the 17,000 Palestinian children who have been killed in Gaza by Israel over the past 22 months were read aloud outside Parliament House in Canberra on Wednesday.

A collective act of mourning and solidarity, the 24-hour vigil brought together humanitarian organisations, activists, journalists, healthcare workers, artists and politicians to call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire, and for Australia to take action to hold Israel to account.

“Today we stand in solidarity with the people of Gaza and we raise alarm over the failure of the international community to protect the most vulnerable. It is indefensible that the Israeli military continues to starve, maim and kill innocent children on a daily basis,” said Michelle Higelin, executive director of ActionAid Australia.

“These children had dreams and hopes for the future and today we honour the lives of the 17,000 Palestinian children who have been killed in this conflict.

“We call on the Australian government to take urgent action with governments globally to bring an end to these atrocities in Gaza and hold Israel to account for continued violations of international law.”

 

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Other humanitarian organisations involved included Amnesty International Australia, Caritas, ChildFund Australia, MAA International, Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders, Oxfam Australia, Plan International Australia and Save the Children Australia.

The 24-hour vigil coincided with the federal parliament’s first sitting. On Tuesday, the Australian Government signed a joint statement with more than two dozen nations calling for an immediate end to the war in Gaza and condemning Israel for depriving Palestinians of “human dignity”.

Amnesty International Australia said that while they welcome this action from the government, without “urgent and concrete action”, the “words ring hollow”.

“Israel’s brutal campaign has claimed over 58,000 lives to date, with tens of thousands more wounded or missing under rubble,” said Amnesty International Australia in a statement.

“The Australian Government must now take concrete action to pressure Israel to end the illegal siege, uphold the rights of civilians, and demand accountability after months of injustice faced by Palestinians in Gaza.”

Margaret Sheehan, the chief executive officer of ChildFund Australia, described the situation in Gaza right now as “a graveyard for childhoods”.

“Children are facing unimaginable grief and trauma, enduring daily displacement, severe malnutrition and a complete denial of their right to education and safety,” said Sheehan.

“We demand the protection of children’s rights and an end to this humanitarian crisis.”

Republished frm Women's Agenda, July 2025

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