GazaPassage Spokesperson Christopher Bedell reiterated that GazaPassage, the first organization to support voluntary relocation for Gaza non-combatants, has no political position on the heightened conflict since October 7, 2023.  “We are apolitical. That hasn’t changed just because President Trump has validated our work.”

Bedell, a St. Louis, Missouri-based Democrat, is a founding Working Group member of the organization comprised of a bipartisan group of American attorneys.

The other two Working Group members, International Envoy Edward “Coach” Weinhaus and Dr. Isaac Amon, are fellow graduates of Washington University School of Law.

According to Bedell, GazaPassage’s progress in pressuring Israel for changes to how it treated Gazan non-combatants who wished to leave was a problem Coach solved last summer.

Bedell had previously warned Israeli officials that the International Envoy would be relentless after they were slow to respond to several communications.

The organization’s greatest success has been gaining broad support from Gazans who have volunteered to leave Gaza for safer pastures. The GazaPassage Pilot program was oversubscribed. The GazaPassage Construction Worker program was put on pause due to the ceasefire. Bedell explained, “If we aren’t going to interfere in a war, we most certainly won’t interfere with a potential path towards peace.”

When asked if GazaPassage influenced the Trump Gaza Relocation position, Bedell demurred. The President’s Staff Secretary (the attorney who announces executive orders) and hands them to the President is another lawyer from St. Louis, Will Scharf.

Bedell stated the organization has had no formal talks with the White House or Mr. Scharf about its work assisting noncombatants leaving Gaza since Trump’s inauguration on January 20, 2025.

When Coach was asked about the organization’s success in influencing President Trump, he stated “We are focused on the Gazans who have asked our help to  be able to leave.”

In recounting the organization’s successes, Coach said, “We are a volunteer group. We accept no donations. We don’t have any success outside helping non-combatants leave Gaza.”

GazaPassage confirmed it would resume activities when the ceasefire ends in any way that doesn’t interfere with US policy or the conduct of hostilities.