Standing Tuesday amid the ruined homes of Kibbutz Be’eri, where 100 residents lost their lives last month at the hands of Hamas terrorists, Samaritan’s Purse President Franklin Graham announced he would provide Magen David Adom with 21 ambulances to fortify Israel’s ability to respond to medical emergencies and to replace MDA ambulances destroyed in the terror attacks.
Rev. Graham previously announced he’d provide 14 ambulances for Magen David Adom to replace the vehicles destroyed in the terror attacks on October 7, in which more than 1,200 Israelis, mostly unarmed civilians, were killed without mercy.
However, on Tuesday Rev. Graham proactively added seven armored ambulances to Samaritan Purse’s commitment to MDA upon seeing firsthand the devastation of the attacks and learning how three MDA medics were killed, including one shot in his ambulance.
The North Carolina-based organization is also sending hundreds of lifesaving trauma supply kits to Israel. Each trauma bag will be packed with essential medical supplies — including a combat application tourniquet, chest tube kit, suture kit, and intubation kit — to save lives in the event of further attacks.
These bags will be strategically positioned with Magen David Adom first responders throughout communities at high risk for future rocket attacks to increase the speed of emergency medical care.
“Innocent families are suffering in Israel and Gaza as a result of the war, and many lives have been lost because they haven’t been able to reach medical care fast enough, especially after the terrorists disabled MDA ambulances stationed in the communities and targeted other ambulances arriving to help,” said Rev. Graham. “This is why we are committed to replacing ambulances that Hamas destroyed and sending trauma kits.”
“It was a privilege to meet and pray with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today. This man needs our prayers. He is facing the most trying time since the birth of their nation with 1,200 people killed, more than 240 men, women, and children taken as hostages, and many injured in the Hamas attack. As I spoke with a woman whose husband was taken hostage, the fear and heartache is overwhelming. Pray for these hostages and their families, pray for Prime Minister Netanyahu, and pray for the peace of Jerusalem,” said Graham.
“We’re deeply grateful to Franklin Graham and Samaritan’s Purse,” said Eli Bin, director-general of Magen David Adom. “The commitment from Samaritan’s Purse replaces ambulances we lost during the opening attacks of the war and puts additional ambulances in our fleet as part of our goal for adding 600 new ambulances this year.
“And just as important,” he said, “Samaritan’s Purse is providing additional armored vehicles that will protect our medics in a conflict in which Israel’s enemy doesn’t abide by the Geneva Convention and deliberately targets medical workers.”
More About How Samaritan’s Purse Is Responding in Israel
- When Hamas attacked Israel in early October, Samaritan’s Purse immediately deployed a Disaster Assistance Response Team to Israel.
- Samaritan’s Purse is working with more than 50 churches in Israel and Gaza. In Gaza, we are supporting churches that are helping their Palestinian communities with food and medicine.
- In Israel, Samaritan’s Purse is replacing 21 ambulances—7 of them armored. We are also providing hundreds of life-saving trauma supply kits. Each trauma bag will be packed with essential medical supplies—including a combat application tourniquet, chest tube kit, suture kit, and intubation kit—to save lives in the event of further attacks. These bags will be strategically positioned with first responders throughout communities at high risk for future rocket attacks to increase the speed of emergency medical care.
- To date, Samaritan’s Purse has provided hygiene kits, nearly 6,000 food vouchers, 300 food boxes, and 3,800 hot meals for internally displaced families in Israel. In addition to these supplies, we have provided medical equipment including defibrillators to search and rescue teams.
- Samaritan’s Purse has also offered to set up Emergency Field Hospitals with personnel, equipment, and supplies in Gaza or Israel—or both—if needed.