Marchers complete 8-day walk to D.C. for peace in Israel, Gaza
About 300 people signed up for the relay-style walk from Philadelphia to D.C., with many joining along the way.
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- A walk from Philadelphia to D.C. with hopes to draw attention to the humanitarian toll of the Israel-Hamas war, the 'Pilgrimage for Peace,' came to an end with marchers reaching their final destination.
On Wednesday afternoon, the group arrived in our nation's capital as new video surfaced showing the desperation in Gaza.
The Pilgrimage for Peace took eight days as participants marched from Philadelphia to Washington, D.C.
"Even though our feet were tired, our souls were happy," said Rev. Dr. Leslie Copeland-Tune, COO of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA.
The group finished their 140-mile journey at about 1 p.m. Wednesday.
"It felt so amazing, having started this journey eight days ago in Philadelphia," said Copeland-Tune.
Marchers with the multi-faith coalition want three things: a ceasefire in Gaza, the release of all October 7 hostages, and unrestricted humanitarian aid.
It's a need that they say is apparent as a new video comes out of Gaza, showing the desperation for aid. In the video, people are seen climbing over each other and scaling a wall in hopes of getting bread from a bakery.
"If you have a heart, you want to make sure people aren't fighting for scraps," said Copeland-Tune.
Pilgrimage for Peace organizers say ensuring the safe return of hostages is just as important.
"Compassion and empathy will help us get to peace. That's a pathway for peace," said Copeland-Tune.
About 300 people signed up for the relay-style walk from Philadelphia to D.C., with many joining along the way.
"It has been a blessing. Churches and mosques, people have opened their doors to us," said Copeland-Tune.
When they arrived in D.C., organizers held a rally and then met with officials. The Pilgrimage for Peace wants to push lawmakers to help both Israelis and Palestinians.
They're convinced that their journey to D.C. was just the beginning.
"I believe we're not only going to transform our communities when we go back," but we're also going to transform this nation and we're going to transform the world," said Copeland-Tune.
