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
Egypt no right to refuse Gazan refugees
International law scholar and The Hill contributor Eugene Kontorovich has condemned Egyptian president al Sisi’s stance for effectively shunning humanitarian law in favour of geopolitical ideology. Referring to the Organization of African Unity (OAU), its successor...
US Sec Blinken Confirms Israeli Claims HAMAS Holding American And Foreign Nationals Hostage
As first published in Globe Banner by GazaPassage’s International Envoy Coach Weinhaus, Gaza is still holding all Americans and foreign nationals hostage, according to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. When pressed about whether Hamas was preventing Americans from...
UK charity highlights inaction of Gaza’s neighbours, urges British government to welcome refugees
British organisation Refugee Action highlights inaction of Gaza neighbours to offer sanctuary, calling upon the UK government to welcome Gazan non-combatants to the UK amid the ongoing war wrought by HAMAS's attack on Israel on October 7. The charity's website says,...
Egypt Rejects International Payments For Helping Non-Combatants Leave Gaza In The Face Of Dire Financial Straits
Egypt has rejected payments from the international community to accept non-combatants from Gaza to ease the humanitarian crisis from the recent war started by HAMAS' October 7th attack on Israel. Egypt's continued resistance to helping non-combatants leave Gaza has...
Egypt Refused Humanitarian Help To Non-Combatants Wishing to Flee Gaza For Political Agenda
At the opening of the Cairo summit, Egyptian President Fattah El Sisi held firm to Egypt’s refusal to receive non-combatants leaving Gaza. He stated that Egypt rejects “transfer to Egyptian lands in Sinai,” of non-combatants. He made no distinction for the...
Palestinian Authority Refuses Any Discussion of Non-Combatants Leaving Gaza
At the Cairo summit of Arab leader, President Mahmoud Abbas refused to make any mention of allowing non-combatants to leave Gaza. The summit was attended by Arab leaders including from Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, and others. “We won’t leave, we won’t leave,”...
Calling Non-Combatant Exit ‘Declaration Of War’ Evokes 1938 Evian Conference Failure, says GazaPassage
GazaPassage spokesperson, Christopher Bedell, has likened Jordan's statement that the evacuation of non-combatants from Gaza would be tantamount to a declaration of war to the abject failure of the 1938 Evian Conference. Bedell said, "Nations treating our mission-...
Egyptian President al-Sisi rejects non-combatant evacuation from Gaza, citing security concerns
According to Reuters, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi rejected the idea of non-combatants coming to Egypt. He said: "any such move would turn the Egyptian peninsula into a base for attacks against Israel." GazaPassage is working to ensure nations like Egypt and other...
Displacing Palestinians from Gaza Equals “Declaration of War,” Warns Jordan’s Foreign Minister
On October 17, 2023, Roya News reported that Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi warned that any attempt to displace Palestinians from their native land would be treated as a "declaration of war." "This is an unwavering stance," Safadi said. GazaPassage is working...
Scottish First Minister Redoubles Demand Scotland Be First UK Host
Following up on our earlier reporting, Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf has further pressed the UK government to offer Gazan non-combatants refuge on its shores "I am calling on the UK Government to take two urgent steps. Firstly, they should immediately begin...