Washington, D.C. – Julia Fawzi Saeed Al-Kurd was one year old. She was killed along with several members of her family in an Israeli airstrike on Deir al-Balah in central Gaza on October 11.

Her name appeared in local reports on the day of the bombing and later on a list of people killed in Israeli attacks published by the organization Palestinian Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip.

Like thousands of other Palestinians wiped out in the Israeli offensive, little is publicly known about Julia beyond her death.

Had she spoken her first word? Has she taken her first step? What was her favorite toy? What lullaby did her parents sing to put her to sleep?

But in Washington, DC, some activists are trying to keep the memory of children like Julia alive by provocatively remembering the young people who lost their lives during the war in Gaza.

On a chilly Sunday morning, activists protested silently in the Capitol Hill neighborhood, handing out leaflets to passersby. At their feet was a row of small figures wrapped in white shrouds, each spattered with blood – and each bearing the name of a real child killed in Gaza. Julia’s name was written on one of them.

“We are witnessing a genocide in Gaza. End the injustice NOW,” the leaflet said, calling for a ceasefire and an end to U.S. military support for Israel.

The protest was one of daily demonstrations in the Washington area led by an informal group called Die-in for Humanity.

Hazami Barmada organized the protests in an effort to break through preconceptions about the Gaza war and provide a stark reminder of the humanity of those under siege. Barmada, who is of Palestinian and Syrian descent, estimates the group has distributed more than 14,000 flyers so far.

“The reality is that our social media is becoming an echo chamber and people are reading the news they want to read,” she said. “That’s why we go to places where the average person walks around and try to provoke deeper questions and reflections about what is happening and bring greater awareness to what is happening to the Palestinians.”

Israeli attacks have killed more than 15,000 Palestinians since October 7, making the war one of the deadliest conflicts ever civilians and children in modern history.

Where possible, Barmada and her fellow volunteers lie on the ground during protests to recreate the bodies of Palestinians killed in Israeli raids.

“We really hope that people will stop and actually start questioning the cost of the war, the cost of supporting it with our tax dollars,” Barmada told Al Jazeera, referring to Washington’s military aid for Israel.

She said protesters wanted people to “feel uncomfortable in a controlled environment” to spark meaningful conversations.

“It’s really easy to look at stats online and get away with it,” Barmada said.

“Our goal is when someone walks by with their own children and you see body bags with the names and ages of children on them that are the same age as your own children, it triggers a different kind of emotional response.”

The group has held so-called die-in protests White Housethe State Department and various neighborhoods throughout the U.S. capital.

One goal of the group is to raise questions about the U.S. role in the conflict. President Joe Biden and his top aides have expressed strong support for Israel, and Washington has not responded any “red lines” Israel’s use of military aid it receives will be restricted, officials said.

Israel, which leading human rights groups accuse Enforcement of apartheid He receives at least $3.8 billion in U.S. aid annually for the Palestinians, and Biden is seeking $14 billion in additional aid for the country this year.

Barmada called Biden’s stance disappointing and said the war would be a “stain” on his legacy.

“Their handling of this entire issue has not only fueled fearmongering, but has also dehumanized Palestinians. It has also fueled hostility and hatred,” She said.

On Capitol Hill on Sunday, many pedestrians nodded in agreement to the demonstrators or gave them a thumbs up. But Barmada said the response hasn’t always been positive.

Just a day earlier, protesters faced a profanity- and racism-laden tirade from a woman who accused them of terrorism and told Barmada to “go back to the damn country” she came from. A Video This interaction has gone viral on social media.

Barmada said she tries to absorb such anger and hatred without reacting to it.

She told Al Jazeera that she started doing the die-ins after seeing footage of one Palestinian mother whispers in the ear of her dead child in Gaza. It reminded her of putting her own child to sleep.

“All I could think of in that moment was, ‘What would I do if that was my son?'” she said, fighting to hold back tears.

Barmada added that her grief prompted her to act.

“There was no conscious decision. There was no process or plan. It was this moment of deep despair in which I could no longer lose sight of my own child. And if I can bring people here to see their own children, if I can bring people here to see their own humanity tied to these body bags, then to me that is a success.”