The International Fellowship of Christians and Jews Expands United Hatzalah’s Fleet of Emergency Vehicles with $2 Million Donation
The International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (IFCJ) has donated 25 new emergency vehicles, totaling a $2 million donation, to United Hatzalah, significantly enhancing the organization’s existing fleet and supporting its lifesaving efforts across Israel.
The donation includes 23 Kia Stonic emergency vehicles, equipped with medical gear such as resuscitation kits, defibrillators, bulletproof vests, cameras, and communications devices. In addition, two 4×4 vehicles, designated for United Hatzalah volunteer physicians, are outfitted with advanced medical equipment and evacuation capabilities for complex emergency scenes.
The vehicles were handed over during an event held on Monday by the two organizations at the Armon HaNatziv Promenade in Jerusalem, attended by United Hatzalah President and Founder Eli Beer and IFCJ President Yael Eckstein. Now fully operational, these vehicles are already being deployed across Israel to save lives on a daily basis.
These new vehicles complement United Hatzalah’s fleet of ambucycles (emergency motorcycles), which are known for their ability to quickly navigate traffic and reach emergencies. While ambucycles transport a single medic, the new vehicles can carry a team of four responders, enabling a coordinated and larger-scale response. This dual capability is crucial for reaching multiple incidents or complex scenes simultaneously, further enhancing the organization’s overall emergency response capacity.
This donation comes as United Hatzalah continues to grow since October 7. The organization’s volunteers were among the first responders on that day, risking their lives to save civilians, soldiers, and security personnel, and evacuating hundreds of wounded under intense fire and life-threatening conditions.
The long-standing partnership between IFCJ and United Hatzalah has seen millions of dollars in donations to support initiatives such as the establishment of the electric bicycle unit named after the late founder of the Fellowship, Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein as well as the training and equipping of hundreds of United Hatzalah volunteers. Since the beginning of the war, the Fellowship has distributed over $100 million to strengthen the resilience of Israel’s citizens, providing direct support to local authorities and various organizations through advanced protective equipment, lifesaving medical supplies, aid to war victims, food, and clothing.
Eli Beer, President and Founder of United Hatzalah, said: “The new emergency vehicles will help our committed volunteers across the country reach emergencies more quickly and save many lives. Whether they are Jewish, Muslim, Christian, or Druze, secular or Orthodox, our volunteers prove their dedication every day. I want to thank the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews for helping us provide them with the most professional tools to carry out this noble task.”
Yael Eckstein, President of IFCJ, said: “The reality over the past year, where one emergency event follows another without pause, required us at the Fellowship to adapt, identify, and address the critical needs of the people of Israel. The volunteers of United Hatzalah are the same, where they are living between one call and the next, adapting to the situation as it unfolds. It is such an honor for us, representing our over 700,000 donors around the world, to partner with United Hatzalah and to take part in the most important mission of all- saving lives. The Fellowship will continue to support all of our emergency and rescue partners in the field and give them the tools needed to respond in real-time.”
Photo credit: Buksa. IFCJ
