Bournemouth beach transformed into giant memorial for children killed by Israel in Gaza

By Aysu Bicer

LONDON (AA) - In a poignant display of solidarity and remembrance, Bournemouth beach has become a canvas for grief and advocacy as campaigners assemble to highlight the devastating toll of child deaths in Gaza.

Led by political campaign group, Led By Donkeys, volunteers have transformed a five-kilometer stretch of sand into a sprawling memorial, using the poignant symbols of children's clothing.

"Israel has killed over 11,500 Palestinian children in Gaza and the West Bank since October 7th, when 36 Israeli children were killed. It’s impossible to imagine that number. This is what it looks like. A line 5km long," the group said on X.

Tops and bottoms of children's garments arranged meticulously along the beach, serve as a stark reminder of the human cost of conflict.

"We’re really trying to show the scale of what’s happening since it’s very difficult for people to understand these kind of numbers. So many children have been killed in Gaza and our own politicians and other governments around the world are really doing nothing to stop it," a spokesman for the group James told Bournemouth One radio on Monday.

"It’s going to take people like us to try and build this very strong visual to wake people up and say that there needs to be a cease-fire," he added.

Israel has mounted a deadly offensive on the Gaza Strip following a Hamas attack on Oct. 7, killing at least 27,585 Palestinians and injuring 66,978, while nearly 1,200 Israelis are believed to have been killed in the Hamas attack.

The Israeli offensive has left 85% of Gaza’s population internally displaced amid acute shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, while 60% of the enclave’s infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.