U.S.-based Christian charity Samaritan’s Purse, led by evangelist Franklin Graham, has begun airlifting critical aid to Gaza amid mounting concerns about severe shortages of food and other essential supplies in the Hamas-ruled territory.
“Early this morning, our Samaritan’s Purse 757 and DC-8 cargo planes took off with over 88,500 pounds (40,143 kilograms) of nutritional peanut-based food product packets for families in Gaza,” Graham said in remarks monitored by Worthy News early Saturday.
He confirmed the packages were due to arrive in Israel before being transported into Gaza for further distribution.
“These are our sixth and seventh airlifts in just the last month. Please continue praying for our teams on the ground as they work to get this life-saving aid to those in need,” Graham added.
“Trusted ministry and humanitarian partners” already operating in the region help ensure that the aid reaches families in desperate need, explained Samaritan’s Purse.
This method avoids airdrops above Gaza and relies instead on established ground networks to deliver supplies safely, according to a Worthy News investigation.
Samaritan’s Purse has not given more details about the way it distributes the aid amid security concerns, but it is known to work with local churches and Gaza’s tiny Christian community.
Distribution of humanitarian aid has become increasingly dangerous.
Israel has accused Hamas—designated a terrorist organization by Israel and most of its allies—of stealing and diverting relief supplies.
Video footage reviewed by Worthy News shows armed men on trucks packed with aid packages, reportedly threatening and firing at desperate crowds attempting to access the food.
BORDER RESTRICTIONS CONTROVERSY
However, Hamas-run authorities in Gaza and the United Nations blame Israel’s ongoing military campaign and tight restrictions on border crossings for worsening the crisis. They argue that relentless airstrikes and blockades have left civilians with little access to food, clean water, and medicine.
Despite these challenges, Samaritan’s Purse says it will continue sending cargo flights from its base in North Carolina to Israel in the coming weeks. The charity says it also provides aid to needy Israeli families and is donating dozens of ambulances to Magen David Adom, Israel’s national emergency medical service.
Graham emphasized that the organization remains committed to “bringing life-saving help in Jesus’ name” to those suffering inside Gaza.
The Israeli government says nearly 20 organizations, including Samaritan’s Purse and the U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, are allowed to provide aid in Gaza.
The military agency that coordinates aid, COGAT, says Israel invests “considerable efforts” in aid, adding that 300 trucks have been transferred daily in “recent weeks,” mostly carrying food, via all land crossings.
The war broke out on October 7, 2023, when Hamas entered Israel, killing some 1,200 people while abducting 251 others in what Israel’s government calls “the worst atrocity” against Jews since the Holocaust, also known as the Shoah.
