As the head of both Samaritan’s Purse and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, Reverend Franklin Graham has journeyed across the globe, extending assistance to those in need. However, his recent visit to southern Israel, the site of the brutal Hamas attack that claimed the lives of over 1,400 Israelis on October 7, revealed an unprecedented encounter for him compared to his other global travels.

In an interview with Newsmax on Monday, Graham expressed the profound impact of the malevolence he witnessed, stating, “I don’t think I’ve been exposed to evil quite like this.” Describing the harrowing scenes of indiscriminate violence, he shared, “It’s hard to describe. When these people come in and are shooting women, children, everybody and just mowing them down, it just breaks your heart. You just see the senseless killing. These people, they’re just barbarians. They’re demon-possessed people. I can’t explain it any other way.”

During his visit, Graham engaged with survivors in some of the kibbutzim that had been targeted. Recounting his conversations, he narrated, “I talked to a widow whose husband was a doctor, and he had run to the clinic which was about 100 yards away. They knew there was some shooting, but they didn’t know what it was. He was killed in his clinic. For 14 hours, she hid in the house trying to stay alive, and she’s a wife with two little children. Now, she’s a widow and facing life without her husband. I met a woman who lost her daughter in that same clinic, and so she came to see me with her three remaining daughters. There were four daughters total, and one was killed. Just the sadness and the hopelessness, and I just shared with them from the Old Testament and quoted some scripture to them, and just loved on them and prayed for them. And they were so appreciative of someone just taking time to pray for them.”

Graham highlighted the dire situation, with close to 500,000 people in southern Israel displaced and residing in hotels. Samaritan’s Purse, under his leadership, is actively delivering aid in the form of food boxes, food vouchers, hygiene kits, and even defibrillators.

In response to the targeted destruction of Israeli ambulances by Hamas during the attack, Graham announced Samaritan’s Purse’s commitment to provide 21 ambulances to Israel, including seven armored vehicles. He emphasized their determination to contribute in any way possible to alleviate the crisis.

While evangelical Christians from the United States are known for their strong support for Israel, Graham shared that he met with Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu during his visit. Their interaction included a moment of prayer, with Graham affirming, “I’m a Christian, and I want people to know I’m there because of my faith.” Reflecting on the broader context, he added, “There’s a lot of need in Israel and that part of the world right now.”

{Matzav.com}