Popemobile clinic for children remains unable to enter Gaza

One of Pope Francis’ final wishes, to turn his former popemobile into a mobile clinic for children in Gaza, has yet to be fulfilled one year after his death, BBC News reported on 21 April, as the vehicle remains unable to enter the territory.

The popemobile which Francis used during his 2014 visit to the Holy Land was converted by Caritas Jerusalem, a local Catholic aid organisation, into a mobile clinic. It is capable of treating up to 200 children a day through vaccinations and primary healthcare.

The vehicle remains in Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank, where it had previously been displayed outside a church-owned ice cream parlour.

Caritas Jerusalem planned to send the vehicle into Gaza as part of the “Vehicle of Hope” project. However, the charity was later included among organisations ordered by Israeli authorities to halt operations after failing to comply with new security and transparency requirements.

The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem later argued that the restrictions did not apply to Caritas Jerusalem because of its legal status under the Catholic Church.

A Caritas spokesperson told the BBC that a permit request for the vehicle was being processed through churchchannels.

Cogat, the Israeli defence body responsible for crossings into Gaza, said it had facilitated the entry of two mobile clinics sent by the Latin Patriarchate in February but was not aware of any request for additional vehicles.

Before his death, Francis formally donated the vehicle to be converted into a mobile health unit for Gaza’s children, according to Associated Press reporting published in May 2025. The clinic was equipped with testing equipment, vaccines, oxygen supplies and refrigeration for medicines.

Francis maintained close contact with Gaza’s Christian community throughout the war and repeatedly called for a ceasefire and increased humanitarian assistance.

Medical Aid for Palestinians said projects such as the mobile clinic could help address gaps in child healthcare and vaccinations in Gaza, but warned that shortages of medicines and damage to hospitals continued to limit medical services across the territory.

The organisation cited a recent assessment by the UN, EU and World Bank which found that more than half of essential medicines were out of stock, most laboratories were non-functional and around half of Gaza’s hospitals remained non-operational.

It added that conditions in Gaza had not “meaningfully improved” despite the ceasefire, with shortages of fuel, supplies and medical treatment continuing to affect healthcare services.

The World Health Organization says only half of Gaza’s hospitals remain partly functional and that specialised medical care is largely unavailable. It estimates that around 18,500 people, including 4,000 children, remain on waiting lists for medical evacuation and treatment.

This article was updated on 24 April 2026 to include comments from Medical Aid for Palestinians.

BBC News, Associated Press, Medical Aid for Palestinians, Maghrebi.org