A group of Japanese political leaders are donating two ambulances to Israeli communities along the border with Gaza, in a show of faith-based support.

The symbolic move by the group of Christian politicians from across Japan comes at a time of surging international censure of Israel over the nearly eight-month war against Hamas in Gaza. The group is led by the mayor of Gifu, which is the birthplace of a diplomat who saved thousands of Jews from the Nazis during World War II.

The first of two fully equipped ambulances were presented to Israeli rescue officials this week during a visit to Israel by the Japanese delegation in a donation made via the Jerusalem-based evangelical organization Bridges for Peace.

The Japanese group visited the Israeli communities near the Gaza borders which came under attack during the Oct. 7 massacre, met with President Isaac Herzog and then presented Israel’s Magen David Adom rescue services with a $150,000 mobile intensive care unit ambulance last week to replace one of the 14 ambulances destroyed during the Hamas attack. The second ambulance will be delivered later this year.