What were the Hospitallers originally founded to do?

The Hospitallers were originally founded in the 11th century in Jerusalem by Italian merchants from Amalfi to provide care for sick and poor pilgrims.1

Following the Christian conquest of Jerusalem in 1099 during the First Crusade, the order intensified its humanitarian efforts, establishing a large hospital capable of caring for approximately 2,000 patients. While their primary mission was the care of the sick and the poor, the order later evolved to combine these humanitarian tasks with the military defense of the Crusader kingdom.12