Ruptly
"Dozens took part in a 42-kilometre walk through Cape Town on Saturday, dubbed the 'Pilgrimage for Palestine 2026', calling for freedom and an end to escalations in Gaza and the wider Middle East region. Footage shows participants chanting, marching with Palestinian flags and signs bearing slogans such as 'Any society killing children is a failure', 'Who would Jesus bomb', before gathering for speeches and waving flags in the city centre. "It's about uniting people and bringing people together of different faiths of Christianity, Judaism and Islam, and even people that don't believe in any particular religion. It's all about humanity," explained Dr Naeem Kathrada, head of organising foundation Gift of the Givers. Participants voiced their support for the initiative and denounced 'organised cruelty', urging for peace to return to ordinary civilians. "No people deserve what is happening in Palestine, and not only that, but it is spreading. So it started with Palestine, it is in Iran, it is in Lebanon," one participant noted. "We are here to pray for people to just have [...] the right to life." The symbolic pilgrimage coincided with Holy Saturday, with organisers saying it was intended to honour thousands of children killed in the Gaza war and express solidarity with Palestinians. The war in Gaza began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas carried out an unprecedented attack on Israel that killed around 1,200 people and saw more than 200 taken hostage. Israel responded with a large-scale military campaign involving sustained air and ground operations. According to Gaza’s health authorities, more than 70,000 Palestinians have been killed, with tens of thousands more injured. Israel and Hamas agreed on the first phase of a deal last October, including a ceasefire, exchange of prisoners and hostages and aid supplies into the Gaza Strip. The US has said work on subsequent phases, including rebuilding and post-war governance, is underway."
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