The Rev. Franklin Graham, CEO of Christian outreach organization Samaritan's Purse, told Newsmax Friday that people need to "pray for the people of the Middle East right now" because "they need our prayers."
Describing what he saw during his time in Israel on Newsmax's "The Record with Greta Van Susteren," Graham said the war between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas is fundamentally different than the conflict in Ukraine because of "the brutality of what these Hamas people did."
"It's like every demon in hell was turned loose there that day," he said. "It's just so sad."
In addition to the more than 1,200 Israelis slaughtered when Hamas launched a surprise attack in southern Israel on Oct. 7, hundreds more were wounded and taken hostage.
"Then, of course, the tragedy is the people of Gaza suffering," Graham said. "There's tremendous problems in Gaza, and Samaritan's Purse, we're working with some churches there. We're trying to get some medicine in through the Red Crescent out of Egypt in there trying to help the hospitals.
"There's Palestinians on the West Bank that had jobs in Israel. Now those borders are closed, and now they can't work. They don't have food. They don't have any way to survive. And so we're helping them as well."
"That one invasion let loose a cycle of despair and hurt and misery that's engulfed the entire region; it's just senseless," he continued. "There's no call for it."
Graham said that one of the things the Middle East needs right now is prayer and he called on everyone to lift up both the Israelis and the Palestinians in prayer.
"I had a chance to pray for these people and just pray that God will put his loving arms around them and comfort them as the God of all comfort and Greta, everyone that I prayed for thanked me," he said. "They need our prayers, and I would just encourage those that are watching your program right now to just pray for the people of the Middle East right now in Israel and also Gaza. They need our prayers."
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Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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