GAZA/JERUSALEM — U.S.-based Christian relief group Samaritan’s Purse, led by evangelist Franklin Graham, is intensifying its humanitarian mission in Gaza, even as widespread reports indicate that Hamas theft and mismanagement of aid is worsening the suffering of civilians.
Early Saturday, Samaritan’s Purse dispatched its 757 and DC-8 cargo planes loaded with more than 88,500 pounds (40,143 kilograms) of peanut-based nutritional food packets bound for families in Gaza. The aid first arrives in Israel before being transferred into the enclave through established ground channels.
The following report is sourced from Samaritan’s Purse’s official website, which we are presenting here:
“These are our sixth and seventh airlifts in just the last month,” Graham noted. “Please continue praying for our teams on the ground as they work to get this life-saving aid to those in need.”
The group partners with trusted ministries and humanitarian networks, including local churches and members of Gaza’s small Christian community, to ensure supplies are delivered directly to families — bypassing Hamas operatives who have been accused of intercepting and exploiting humanitarian assistance.
Seven airlifts have gone to the Middle East. Food is now being distributed to those in need in Gaza.
UPDATE (Aug. 15): Early this morning our Samaritan’s Purse 757 and DC-8 cargo planes took off with over 88,500 pounds of nutritional peanut-based food product packets for families in Gaza. 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.—Franklin Graham, via Facebook
UPDATE (Aug. 13): Samaritan’s Purse is deploying life-saving aid to the Middle East, where our teams are on the ground distributing food to families suffering in Gaza. Through ongoing relief flights and food distributions, we’ve helped thousands—bringing hope to innocent civilians caught in the crossfire. We’ve also begun providing first-aid care, treating nearly 100 patients so far. Please join us in praying for peace in the Middle East and for our staff as they serve in Jesus’ Name. —Samaritan’s Purse, via Facebook
UPDATE (Aug. 8): Samaritan’s Purse has airlifted more than 130,000 pounds of RUSF, a highly nutritious emergency food product in individual packets, to help families in Gaza. We were able to begin distributing these today. Pray for those who are suffering and for our teams on the ground.—Franklin Graham, via Facebook
Additional airlifts are scheduled.
— UPDATE (Aug. 4): Samaritan’s Purse staff in the Middle East are working hard to process and package [the] over 130,000 pounds of life-saving food supplies we airlifted into the region last week. These emergency food packets will soon be distributed to suffering families in Gaza in coordination with our trusted partners. Please continue to pray for peace in the Middle East—and for those caught in the crossfire of the conflict. Please also pray for the Samaritan’s Purse staff who are responding in Jesus’ Name.—Samaritan’s Purse, via Facebook
Samaritan’s Purse airlifted over 19 tons of nutrient-rich food packets to the Middle East.
— On an Early August morning, our Samaritan’s Purse 757 cargo plane took off with over 19 tons of nutrient-dense food packets for suffering families in Gaza. This airlift is the third in less than a week, with more planned. Please pray for peace in the Middle East.—Franklin Graham, via Facebook
— On July 26, Samaritan’s Purse airlifted over 48 U.S. tons of ready-to-use, supplemental food supplies aboard its DC-8 and 757 cargo aircraft to help suffering families in Gaza. The flights arrived in Israel earlier today. The life-saving, nutrient-dense food packets—supplied by MANA, an organization in the U.S. state of Georgia—will soon be transported into Gaza for distribution by trusted partners. This latest deployment is part of the larger Samaritan’s Purse response to ongoing conflicts across the Middle East.
“Innocent families are suffering in Gaza and Israel, and many lives have been lost since the start of this conflict,” said Franklin Graham, president of Samaritan’s Purse. “Samaritan’s Purse is working to help innocent civilians caught in the crossfire. These food supplies are a tangible reminder that God sees them, cares for them, and has not forgotten them in their suffering. Please join me in praying for peace in the Middle East.”
Samaritan’s Purse sent over 48 U.S. tons of emergency relief to the Middle East this past weekend.
Since Oct. 7, 2023, Samaritan’s Purse has been actively providing life-saving aid to innocent civilians affected by the war in both Israel and Gaza in Jesus’ Name. The organization is working through partners to deliver food, clean water, shelter materials, and other critical supplies to families in need within Palestinian territories while also providing medical aid, trauma kits, and emergency food to Israeli families in need.
Additionally, 22 of 42 ambulances pledged by Samaritan’s Purse have now been delivered to Magen David Adom, Israel’s national emergency medical service. These vehicles, including armored units, are replacing those destroyed in attacks by Hamas and expanding the agency’s emergency response capacity.
Hamas Exploitation of Aid
While international agencies warn of rising hunger, Israel has repeatedly accused Hamas of seizing relief shipments, diverting food for its fighters, or selling supplies on the black market instead of distributing them freely.
There is video footage that appears to show armed Hamas-linked men riding on trucks full of aid, firing into the air and intimidating civilians desperate for food. Such incidents highlight the risks of distribution inside the enclave and the militant group’s grip over humanitarian channels.
Israel argues it has facilitated significant levels of assistance. The military agency COGAT says roughly 300 trucks a day have been entering Gaza in recent weeks, carrying food, water, and medicine. Despite this, many Gazans remain hungry — which Israel blames squarely on Hamas’ diversion of supplies.
Humanitarian Situation on the Ground
The United Nations claims that more than one in five children in Gaza City are malnourished, though Israel and independent observers caution that much of the data comes from Hamas-controlled authorities. Earlier this year, The New York Times apologized for publishing a misleading photograph of a child alleged to be starving, undermining trust in some of these reports.
Nevertheless, aid groups say civilians continue to suffer from water shortages and collapsed infrastructure — a crisis critics say has been fueled by Hamas’ decades-long control of Gaza, prioritizing weapons and tunnels over basic public services.
Background of the War
The humanitarian crisis stems from the ongoing war triggered by Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, when militants killed about 1,200 people and abducted 251 others. Israel describes the massacre as the worst atrocity against Jews since the Holocaust.
Since then, the Hamas-run Ministry of Health claims nearly 62,000 Palestinians have been killed, though the figures do not distinguish between civilians and combatants. Israel contends that many of the casualties are Hamas fighters embedded among civilians.
Despite the dangers, Graham says Samaritan’s Purse will continue flying relief supplies from North Carolina into Israel for delivery to Gaza. The organization is also assisting Israeli families impacted by the war and has pledged ambulances to Israel’s emergency medical service, Magen David Adom.
“Our mission is to bring life-saving help in Jesus’ name,” Graham said, stressing that aid must reach innocent families rather than being diverted by militants.
