Franklin Graham prays with Netanyahu, donates ambulances to Israeli medical charity

The Rev. Franklin Graham prayed in Israel Wednesday with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, one day after touring a kibbutz in southern Israel devastated by the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attacks.

The American evangelical leader announced the donation of 21 ambulances by Samaritan’s Purse, a Christian charity he heads, to Magen David Adom, Israel’s emergency medical charity.

On social media, he called the actions of Hamas “evil” and “demonic.”

The number of donated ambulances includes seven armored vehicles after Mr. Graham saw the damage caused by the attacks. Three MDA medics were killed, the medical group said, including one shot in his ambulance.

“It was a privilege to meet and pray with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today,” Mr. Graham said. “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.“

The evangelist, who also heads the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association founded by his late father, called for prayer for the hostages, their families and Mr. Netanyahu.

“As I spoke with a woman whose husband was taken hostage, the fear and heartache is overwhelming,” he said.

The organization said it is working with more than 50 churches in Israel and in Gaza, where the charity supports churches helping Palestinian communities with medicine and food. Samaritan’s Purse said it’s offered to set up emergency field hospitals with personnel, supplies and equipment in both Gaza and Israel if needed.

The group is also donating sanitary kits, food and debit cards to internally displaced Israeli survivors of the attack, the organization said.

“We’re deeply grateful to Franklin Graham and Samaritan’s Purse,” said Eli Bin, director-general of Magen David Adom, said in a statement. He said the armored ambulances “will protect our medics in a conflict in which Israel’s enemy doesn’t abide by the Geneva Convention and deliberately targets medical workers.”