Standing Tuesday amid the ruined homes of Kibbutz Be’eri, where 100 residents were massacred last month by 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 brutally murdered.
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.”
“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 Conventions and deliberately targets medical workers.
“Your compassion will never be forgotten,” Bin told Rev. Graham. “Generations to come will remember this visit and this help. This is something that will motivate them and show them that we are here to make this world a better world.”
