A popemobile used by Pope Francis is to be transformed into a mobile health unit and sent to the Gaza Strip.
Before his death at the age of 88 on Easter Monday, Pope Francis ordered that the vehicle be modified into a clinic on wheels and sent to the war-torn territory to help wounded, sick and malnourished children.
About a million Palestinian children have been displaced as a result of fighting between Hamas and Israeli forces.
Francis used the popemobile on an apostolic visit to the Holy Land in 2014.
Work on modifying the vehicle is already underway. However, a near-total blockade by Israel has meant no aid is being allowed into the Strip.
Pope Francis’ concern for the plight of the Palestinians antagonised the Israeli government during his papacy.
In November, the Pope said the international community should examine if the Israeli military actions in the Gaza Strip amounted to genocide. He described the humanitarian situation inside the enclave as “shameful”.
The office of Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, offered a muted response to the death of Francis, sending condolences four days after his death.
There had been a warmer message of condolences posted by the official state account of Israel but it was later deleted, without explanation.
Israel sent a low-level delegation to Francis’ funeral in St Peter’s Square.
The dire humanitarian situation in Gaza is worsening by the day, according to aid organisations.
In March, Israel stopped all humanitarian aid deliveries into Gaza, including food, fresh water and fuel.
Levels of hunger are reportedly at their worst since the war began 19 months ago.
It is not clear when, or if, the Israelis would allow the modified popemobile into the enclave.
Once its refurbishment is complete, the popemobile will be staffed by doctors and packed with emergency medical equipment including vaccines, suture kits, oxygen supplies, syringes and other life-giving supplies.
Peter Brune, the secretary general of the Swedish branch of the Catholic charity Caritas, which is supporting the project, said: “It’s not just a vehicle, it’s a message that the world has not forgotten about the children in Gaza.
“We will be able to reach children who today have no access to health care – children who are injured and malnourished. This is a concrete, life-saving intervention at a time when the health system in Gaza has almost completely collapsed.”
Francis had a particular concern for Gaza and made regular phone calls to a Catholic priest who runs the only Catholic church in the enclave.
Vatican News, the Holy See’s official news outlet, said: “Pope Francis’ legacy of peace continues to shine in our conflict-ridden world.
“The closeness he showed to the most vulnerable during his earthly mission is radiating even after his death, and this most recent surprise is no exception: his popemobile, the very vehicle from which he waved and was close to millions of faithful all around the world, is being transformed into a mobile health unit for the children of Gaza.”
The announcement came as 133 Catholic cardinals from around the world prepare to enter the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican on Wednesday to elect a successor to Francis.
Since the Pope’s death, they have been holding daily meetings called General Congregations to discuss the issues facing the Catholic Church, from financial problems to the scourge of sexual abuse against children by priests.
On Monday, for the first time, they will hold two such meetings – an indication that there is still much to discuss and that they may be struggling to reach consensus on who should be the next leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics.
They will be sequestered inside the Sistine Chapel for the conclave – the centuries-old process by which a new pope is elected.
There will be one round of voting on Wednesday, but four a day after that.
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