Dearborn's 'Wall Of Tears' Mural Lists Nearly 20K Children Killed In Gaza War

DEARBORN, MI — A new Dearborn memorial lists the names of more than 18,000 children who have been killed in Gaza since the war began on Oct. 7, 2023.

The "Wall of Tears" is a 100-foot-long, 7.5-foot-tall outdoor mural featuring the names, stories and photographs of these children - both in Arabic and Latin type, color-coded by boys and girls and listed by date of death.

"For nearly three years, the world has witnessed the Israeli government’s genocidal campaign in Gaza, a campaign that has taken the lives of tens of thousands of innocent children and families," Dearborn Mayor Abdullah H. Hammoud said. "That same destruction has spread to Lebanon, leaving millions displaced and entire villages wiped from the map. This monument stands in memory of those children and as a call to conscience, reminding future generations of the cost of silence and the responsibility to never look away."

The mural was created by artist Phil Buehler and sits just outside the former Dearborn City Hall building in PEACE Park East.

"Like my other murals, I hope this one works on multiple levels," Buehler said. "You might be curious from a distance and be drawn in and read some of their stories and look at the family photos. How could someone walk away without thinking that this could be my kid, my niece, my neighbor’s kid? Our love of children is universal."

Dearborn has the highest percentage of Arab American residents of any city in the nation.

The Gaza War began on Oct. 7, 2023, when militants from the Gaza Strip killed 1,200 people and took more than 200 hostages. The Israel Defense Forces responded with extensive airstrikes and a ground invasion that has destroyed much of the Gaza territory. Officials said the conflict has so far killed more than 73,000 people in the region.