Franklin Graham, prominent in American Evangelical circles and leading the international humanitarian organization Samaritan's Purse and Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, visited kibbutzim including three villages that were severely affected by a recent Hamas attack before having a meeting with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
During this visit, Graham pledged the donation of 21 ambulances for Israel. Samaritan's Purse previously committed to providing 14 ambulances to Magen David Adom (MDA), Israel's national medical emergency, disaster, ambulance and blood service. These vehicles are intended to replace those destroyed during the October terrorist attacks, according to a press release issued by Samaritan's Purse.
Additionally, Samaritan’s Purse has supplied equipped medical personnel with specialized trauma kits, especially in areas vulnerable to potential rocket attacks.
He emphasized the critical situation faced by Israel due to the attack, expressing concern for the hostages taken and the casualties incurred. Graham called for prayers for the affected individuals, including the hostages, their families and Prime Minister Netanyahu.
While visiting the abandoned city of Be’eri, a kibbutz, on his way to the Gaza border, Graham was deeply struck by the haunting echoes of a tragic past. It is the location where 130 residents were killed and 26 taken hostage in the October 7 Hamas invasion. He remarked, “I haven’t seen such brutality since Pol Pot and the killing fields in Cambodia. It’s evil. It’s demonic what took place here.”
There, where now occupied solely by IDF soldiers, he encountered a young woman returning for the first time since an attack. She, with her two children, had sought refuge within their home and survived. Her husband, Daniel, a devoted doctor, rushed to aid the injured at a nearby clinic during the crisis. Tragically, terrorists breached the clinic, claiming his life and that of almost everyone inside.
Graham expressed in a press release, “The conflict in Israel and Gaza is causing immense suffering for innocent families. Lives have been lost due to delays in accessing urgent medical assistance, particularly after terrorists incapacitated MDA ambulances in the area and attacked other arriving emergency vehicles."
“There are countless untold stories of grief, heartbreak, horror, and trauma—and there is great need. SamaritansPurse is working to help and I will be sharing more. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem,” Graham stated in an X post.
Samaritan's Purse, since its establishment in 1970, has been dedicated to assisting those affected by war, poverty, natural disasters, disease and famine. Their mission revolves around extending aid while aiming to spread God's love through Jesus Christ.
