An American pastor revealed how he and several partners managed to deliver 23 tons of rice to Christians in Gaza, where they have been sheltering in churches amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas following the terror group’s October 2023 attacks.
Pastor William Devlin, the missions pastor of Infinity Bible Church in the South Bronx, New York, had faith that the Lord would provide the means to deliver rice to Christians in Gaza.
The pastor, who has traveled to Gaza over 30 times to bring aid, worked alongside Samaritan’s Purse, the charitable Order of St. John of Jerusalem Hospitallers, and the Israel Defense Forces to deliver the 23 tons of rice.
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“I knew that they could do it for the glory of God, and they did,” Devlin told The Christian Post.
Devlin, who’s also the volunteer CEO of REDEEM! and Widows & Orphans, said that the story behind the delivery begins with his joining the Hospitallers last April.
According to the pastor, the order had recently sent 23 tons of rice to Ashdod, Israel, to support Israelis displaced by the terror group Hezbollah.
After Hamas’ invasion on Oct. 7, 2023, Hezbollah started launching a barrage of rocket attacks into northern Israel, resulting in many residents being forced to flee their homes or struggling to obtain basic necessities.
Last September, a leader within the order contacted Devlin about the possibility of delivering rice to Gaza. Due to the ministry work that Devlin had done in the region, the order asked for the pastor’s help in delivering 23 tons of rice from Thailand to the Holy Family Catholic Church and St. Porphyria Greek Orthodox Church in northern Gaza.
Over 225 families have been sheltering within churches in Gaza since October 2023, according to Devlin. Israel has vowed to eliminate the Hamas terror group that controls the region and secure the release of the over 250 individuals it took hostage on Oct. 7, 2023.
“The order paid for the cost of the rice and the packaging, and they also paid for the shipping. I think the total cost that a donor invested was around $35,000,” Devlin said. “I think the rice was about $27,000. And to ship it from Bangkok, Thailand, to Ashdod, Israel, was another $7,000.”
Devlin likened the task of delivering rice into Gaza to a scenario from “Mission Impossible.” When he contacted over 30 faith-based nonprofits and spoke to over 50 people within those organizations, each one turned him down.
“They said to me, ‘Pastor Devlin, it is absolutely impossible to get that rice from Ashdod into Gaza,’” he recalled. “‘It’s an active war zone, and even if it gets in, it’s going to be looted.’”
As Israeli defense officials and the United Nations have reported, humanitarian aid delivered to Gaza is often stolen by Hamas or criminal gangs that sell it on the black market for more than what it’s worth.
In response to objections from the nonprofit groups, Devlin recalled a Bible verse from Luke 18:27, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.” Devlin said that he encountered roadblocks until last November, when he connected with the Rev. Franklin Graham’s humanitarian relief organization, Samaritan’s Purse.
Devlin and his organization REDEEM! had previously worked with Samaritan’s Purse. A representative from the Evangelical aid group told the pastor that the organization had a team present in Gaza since October 2023 to deliver humanitarian goods.
The relief organization already had contacts with the IDF and the Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories. The COGAT is a unit within the IDF that monitors Judea, Samaria and the Gaza Strip.
With its connections, Samaritan’s Purse was able to vouch for Devlin, and the rice was delivered to Ashdod on Nov. 11, 2024. The pastor confirmed that, despite various people telling him it couldn’t be done, the rice was successfully delivered to the two churches in Gaza.
“It was really a God thing,” he said. “Because 35 organizations and some 50 people within them, they said the rice will never get to the intended place. Well, guess what? The rice was delivered to the two churches untouched.”
Samantha Kamman is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: samantha.kamman@christianpost.com. Follow her on Twitter: @Samantha_Kamman
