REMEMBRANCE DAY will be a “hollow act” without recognising the suffering of the millions killed in modern conflicts, peace campaigners said ahead of commemorations this weekend which will draw attention to civilian casualties.

The events, organised by Every Casualty Counts (ECC) and Quakers in Britain, will culminate with a “virtual Cenotaph” outdoor video projection in central London featuring testimonies of more than 100 ordinary people killed in conflicts over the past year. 

ECC executive director Rachel Taylor said: “Every life lost to war is a tragedy and should be remembered.

“But remembering those who died in wars of the past is a hollow act if we don’t also recognise the victims of war today.”

Children are being killed in unprecedented numbers amid a 40 per cent rise in the number of civilian deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Action on Armed Violence this week released a new investigation revealing that Israel’s AI-driven targeting systems, such as “Lavender,” generated tens of thousands of kill lists with minimal human oversight, resulting in the deaths of civilians on an unprecedented scale in Gaza.

Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament general secretary Sophie Bolt said: “With the threat of global war increasing – and the use of nuclear weapons – it is absolutely critical that the human cost of nuclear war is brought to public attention.”

A Stop The War spokeswoman said: “While we are asked to remember those fallen in war this Remembrance weekend, let us do just that and think of the millions killed in Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen, Libya, Palestine, Lebanon, Syria and Ukraine – and let us not forget who was responsible for this slaughter.”

Geoff Tibbs of the pacifist organisation Peace Pledge Union (PPU), which distributes white poppies and campaigns for non-violent approaches to conflict and against all forms of militarism, added: “In most wars, civilians bear the brunt of the violence – a fact clearer than ever today – yet they are rarely acknowledged at the Cenotaph each year.

“For too long, their lives and experiences have been sidelined.”

The BBC is facing questions by the group after removing white poppies from its main reception in Broadcasting House.

It has been contacted for comment.