Samaritan’s Purse new cargo plane flies 45 tons of Gaza aid

The North Carolina-based charity shipped over 100,000 pounds of humanitarian supplies for Gaza via Israel on Saturday with the ministry’s new Boeing 767 cargo plane. The latest shipment included more than 290,000 vitamin-rich, ready-to-use supplementary food packets for women and children, according to the international Christian ministry. The shipment also included 12,000 blankets and 12,000 solar lights, along with other essential relief items.

Why does the new plane matter? COO Edward Graham explained that the Boeing 767 cargo plane allowed the ministry more logistical flexibility when delivering aid. It’s the largest plane in the fleet, allowing the ministry to dictate its own response and timeline while moving massive amounts of supplies around the world, he explained in a Sunday video posted to Facebook. Gaza needs prayer and residents there need to know they’re not forgotten, he said.

This is a terrible war, and help needs to go in Jesus’ name, ministry President Franklin Graham said in a Saturday interview. Samaritan’s Purse has been helping people on both sides of the conflict, he added. Saturday marked the ministry’s 13th aid shipment to Gaza since Hamas’ invasion on Oct. 7, 2023. Over the past two years, Samaritan’s Purse delivered over 223 tons of supplemental food, distributed over 1 million food rations, and medically treated more than 1,700 patients, according to the ministry.

The nonprofit also provided 42 armored vehicles to Israeli emergency services, over half of which are armored. Samaritan’s Purse is also working to build two ambulance response stations, nine community centers with bomb shelters, and an equine therapy center for youth. 

Dig deeper: Read my last report on Gaza aid sent by Samaritan’s Purse in July.