What We Do
We have one Mission:
Helping Non-Combatants Leave Gaza.
To achieve our Mission, we must continually pursue all of the following:
– Liaise with Israeli Government Officials to ensure passage for non-combatants.
– Perform outreach to hosting partner nations and supporting partner nations
– Report progress on helping non-combatants leave Gaza
– Offer media appearances
– Inform the public as to topics relevant to our Mission.
Partner Countries
One of Gaza Passage’s primary functions is to maximize the assistance from nations interested in our mission to help avert a humanitarian crisis. Gaza Passage expects all nations to value and respect the ability of non-combatants to escape a war zone.
Partner types include:
– Hosting Partner Nations
– Supporting Partner Nations
– Israeli Government
We also have media partners. See “Press” section.
Check back for updates on countries that support our Mission.
Working Group
Washington University School of Law Alumni (including an international war crimes investigator) with diverse political backgrounds started Gaza Passage to attract like-minded group of international attorneys who share the single goal of helping non-combatants leave Gaza to avoid a humanitarian crisis during the war (October 2023). The Working Group includes:
American conservatives and liberals, African Americans and Jews. It has expanded to include International attorneys, liaisons to both the Israeli and American governments, and outreach resources.
WORKING GROUP ADVISORS

Dr. Isaac Amon, JD, LLM, JSD
Dr. Amon is an international legal scholar with significant experience as a war crimes investigator. He has experience working at the United Nations and served as a Legal Atrocity Crimes Investigator for an NGO from 2019-2021. In 2023, Dr. Amon earned Missouri Bar Foundation’s W. Oliver Rasch Award for best legal writing. (LinkedIn bio.)
Dr. Amon has earned three law degrees from Washington Unversity School of Law where he serves as an Adjunct Professor of Law. He is the current Director of Academic Research & Program Development at the Jewish Heritage Alliance.

Christopher Bedell, JD
Christopher Bedell is an Associate at Polsinelli based in St. Louis, Missouri. Much of Mr. Bedell’s practice consists of working with government entities and elected officials. He serves as Chairman and Affording Housing Representative to the City of St. Louis’ Building Energy Improvement Board. He also was nominated to serve as the youngest Commissioner of the St. Louis County Planning Commission in 30 years. He is active in Missouri’s Democratic Party. He also runs a citizen discussion group with candidates seeking office.
Mr. Bedell has harbored a long-term interest in Middle East Affairs. He is double-degreed from Washington University where he earned his JD. (LinkedIn bio).

Pat Eckler
Donald “Pat” Eckler is an attorney and legal commentator based out of Chicago, Illinois. His legal accomplishments include: Partner at Freeman, Mathis, & Gary, LLP, Secretary/Treasurer of Illinois Defense Counsel, Member of DRI Taskforce on TPLF, and Co-host of Podium and Panel Podcast.
Mr. Eckler is widely known as having a prodigious knowledge of civil procedure which he shares regularly with his network.
Mr. Eckler is a former college basketball coach and has earned degrees from the University of Chicago and the University of Florida. (LinkedIn Bio.)

Adam Florek
Adam Florek is a litigator based out of Chicago. He is Of Counsel at at nationwide firm Peiffer Wolf Carr Kane Conway & Wise (with office in St. Louis). Mr. Florek’s practice is focused on all types of civil, commercial, and class litigation. After law school, he clerked for the Hon. Charles R. Norgle at the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and Hon. William J. Bauer at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.
Mr. Florek received his Juris Doctorate from the University of Illinois Chicago’s John Marshall Law School where he was the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law. (LinkedIn bio.)

Antonio Valiente
Antonio Valiente serves as Director and Deputy General Counsel for all of Latin America of International Payments Innovator Athena Bitcoin Global. Mr. Valiente formerly served as General Counsel of Wal Mart Inc. (Puerto Rico). He resides in Puerto Rico where he serves as country manager of LocalCounseled and his own law firm conducting financial arbitrations. He has served international corporations as counsel for 25 years.
Mr. Valiente attended Fordham University and earned his JD from Inter American University School of Law, for both Common and Civil Law. (LinkedIn bio).

Edward "Coach" Weinhaus
Coach is Contemporary Jewish Issues Commentator, Professor, and Academic having taught at the nation’s top universities including University of Chicago, Washington University, and UCLA. He currently teaches at Yeshiva University in New York. Coach serves as Special Media Advisor to the Chair of the Knesset’s Constitution, Law, and Justice Committee. Coach’s international background includes earning two European degrees, living abroad in three different countries, and overseeing implementation of bitcoin as legal tender for the only country to do so. (Fuller bio.)
Coach has earned five degrees, including two law degress from Washington University, where he is pursuing his doctorate.
Press
GazaPassage will partner with media companies and programs that are willing to cover the plight of civilians while Gaza remains at significant risk of being a war zone. Stay tuned for more.
About
On October 7, 2023, Hamas and Israel were at war after Hamas’ attacks in Israel. It didn’t take long for the world to realize that the civilian, non-combatant Gazans were stuck in Gaza. Gaza Passage was founded to help the civilians who wish to leave for safety can do so.
The work isn’t easy. Israel has to determine who is and isn’t a combatant. Gaza Passage believes that task is difficult, imperfect, and costly – in lives – on the battlefield. By focusing our efforts on our one goal, we can expedite the process of gaining resources to save lives.
Our first outreach was to people within Israel. Next, we reached out to the United States which has already begun to take action. Next, we intend to publicize to the nations of the world that they too can help.
Our diverse and active Working Group intends to fully update the world on how we all band together to prevent the loss of civilian life in Gaza.
Please join us.
Contact
After connecting on LinkedIn with a message “GP Saves Lives,”
Email Coach @ gazapassage . org
Coach will take it from there. Stay tuned for more contact information.
Outreach Attorneys
GazaPassage is seeking local attorneys in different countries to assist in our Outreach efforts to the nations of the world. If you would like to be an Outreach Coordinator for a country where you practice law, reach out to us. We promise to do the heavy lifting.
News
GazaPassage Working Group Formalizes Pledge After Testing And UAE Success, Phase III To Launch In Parallel
GazaPassage has formalized its namesake Pledge after testing it with multiple international actors, including non-Western nations and ambassadors. The GazaPassage Pledge reads as follows: GAZAPASSAGE PLEDGE Pursuant to (at least*) the Conditions below, the...
Former National Security Adviser John Bolton Advocates Resettlement as Solution for Gazans
In an interview with News Nation, former U.S. National Security Adviser Ambassador John Bolton suggested resettlement as a long-term solution for Palestinians living in Gaza. “The best thing to do across the Middle East is to find ways to resettle them,” Bolton said....
Three Israeli Initiatives Follow Gaza Passage in Working to Solve Gaza Humanitarian Crisis
Israel’s Hayom has identified three efforts based in Israel following GazaPassage’s creation. The various initiatives are all seeking to solve the problem of helping non-combatants leave Gaza. The others include a proposal from Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) that calls for...
Rep. Joe Wilson Proposes Leveraging Aid to Arab Countries to Relocate Palestinians from Gaza
According to Yisrael Hayom, Rep Joe Wilson (R-SC) has called to condition aid to Arab countries on agreeing to accept migration of Gazans. The plan would see non-combatant Gazans relocated to Egypt, Iraq, Yemen, and Turkey in exchange for continued American aid to...
Incoming Dutch PM Wilders Suggests Jordan as Destination for Resettling Gaza Non-Combatants
In a post on X, incoming Dutch PM Geert Wilders suggests Palestinian non-combatants can be resettled to Jordan. Wilders said "Jordan is Palestine!," implying that non-combatants in Gaza should be relocated to Jordan. GazaPassage is working to ensure the Netherlands...
Israel and Egypt successfully negotiate first non-combatants from Al Shifa in Gaza to Egypt
According to BBC News, Palestinian medics have evacuated 31 premature babies from Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City. The babies were transported to a hospital in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, where they were being provided with urgent medical attention in the neonatal...
UPDATE: 90 Children alongside Families Travel from Gaza to UAE for Treatment
In an update to our earlier report, United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed's directive to take 1,000 children plus their families from Gaza for medical treatment at UAE hospitals is taking shape. A tweet by Loay Alshareef, an Arab internet influencer...
UAE to take 1000 children plus their families from Gaza for medical treatment
According to Reuters, the President of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, has instructed hospitals in the country to provide medical treatment to 1,000 Palestinian children from Gaza, along with their families. However, details on how the...
Widely Read Economist Tyler Cowen Notes Latin American Option Based on Brazil and El Salvador For Non Combatant Gazans
Economist Tyler Cowen suggests that Latin American countries should consider accepting non-combatant Gazans as immigrants, given the region's history of successfully integrating migrants, including Brazil and El Salvador. "I would gladly see Brazil and other Latin...
HAMAS Decides It Too Wants Its Non-Non-Combatants Out Of Gaza In Ambulance Gambit
According to a tweet from OSINTdefender on X.com (né Twitter), HAMAS sought to hide upwards of 40 of its fighters in ambulances to escape to Egypt. HAMAS had attempted to use the Red Cross and Red Crescent ambulances that were provided to help get those needing...