Ramallah. The West Bank city of Bethlehem is preparing to send a modified popemobile once used by the late Pope Francis to Gaza, converting the vehicle into a mobile pediatric clinic for wounded Palestinian children.

At a ceremony attended by religious and community leaders, Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land adviser Ibrahim Faltas said the “Vehicle of Hope” is expected to reach Gaza soon to support children and their families. He recalled that the vehicle had been used by Pope Francis during his 2014 visit to the city and explained that its conversion is intended to provide humanitarian care for the injured.

Faltas also said that Pope Francis had met a group of Gaza children receiving treatment in Italy in February and expressed admiration for their intelligence, underscoring the urgent need for medical support.

“We have seen more than a million children displaced, and so it was particularly important to us as Caritas, together with Caritas Jerusalem, when Pope Francis, as one of his last wishes, said that he wanted his Popemobile to be turned into a pediatric clinic for the children of Gaza,” said Caritas Jerusalem Secretary General Anton Asfar.

Swedish Cardinal Anders Arborelius said he was pleased to mark the moment, calling the Vehicle of Hope ready for a meaningful new mission. “Let me remind you of the words by the late Pope Francis: children are not numbers, children are faces, names and stories, and each one matters,” he said.

He added that through this initiative, “we want every child we reach to feel seen, heard and protected. The rights and well-being of the child come first. This vehicle stands as a testament the world has not forgotten the children of Gaza.”

While no arrival date has been confirmed, Faltas said the hope is for the vehicle to reach Gaza soon.

ANSA reported in May 2025 that before his death on April 21, 2025, Pope Francis had asked Caritas to use one of his popemobiles as a medical unit for Gaza’s children. The vehicle will be staffed by a driver and a doctor, and equipped with diagnostic tools, rapid infection tests, syringes, and other medical supplies.

Israel’s military campaign in Gaza since October 2023 has killed nearly 70,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured close to 171,000 others. Large parts of the densely populated enclave have been reduced to rubble. The attacks have eased following a ceasefire agreement that took effect on October 10, 2025.