Solidarity, emergency legal help for Palestinians

Dear friends,

It has been one year and nine months since the start of the war on Gaza, and the situation remains catastrophic. Israeli military attacks continue unabated, with the widespread killing of civilians, overwhelmingly women and children, massive destruction of property, evacuation orders and displacement, starvation, and the deprivation of all basic necessities of life, including fuel for power. Further, and shockingly, Israel has established a special administration, touted by the Defense Minister to promote so-called "voluntary emigration," a euphemism for the forcible transfer of the Palestinian population from Gaza.

Fuel Crisis

For over three months, Israel has completely blocked the entry of fuel to Gaza, and has systematically denied humanitarian organizations access to existing fuel reserves within Gaza, deepening the prolonged humanitarian catastrophe.

On 1 July 2025, five human rights organizations in Israel, led by Gisha and including Adalah, sent a letter to Israeli authorities demanding the immediate entry of fuel into Gaza and access to existing reserves. In the letter, the organizations cited reports and urgent appeals from the UN and aid agencies warning that the fuel shortage is severely impacting all aspects of civilian life in Gaza, including water supply, sewage systems, hospitals, medical equipment, communications, aid distribution, and emergency services.

"If the current more than 100-day blockade on fuel coming into Gaza does not end, children will begin to die of thirst. Diseases are already advancing, and chaos is tightening its grip."- UNICEF Spokesperson, James Elder, 20 June 2025

The organizations contended that preventing the supply of fuel necessary to meet the needs of the civilian population is a deliberate political decision which deprives Palestinians of essential aid required for their survival. Blocking fuel violates both Israeli and international humanitarian law, breaches International Court of Justice (ICJ) provisional measures in the genocide case of South Africa v. Israel and constitutes collective punishment that may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity.

“Voluntary Emigration” Policy

On 23 March 2025, the Israeli Security Cabinet issued a drastic and alarming decision to prepare "for the possibility of voluntary departure of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip to third countries". To this end, the "Voluntary Emigration Administration” was established within the Israeli Defense Ministry.

On 12 June 2025, four human rights organizations in Israel, led by Adalah and Gisha, sent a letter to Israeli authorities demanding the cancellation of the decision and the dismantling of the new, dangerous administration.

According to reports, Israel is sending messages to Gaza residents, calling on them to contact a designated representative to coordinate their departure. The human rights organizations warned that, although the plan is presented as one that fulfills the residents’ wishes, this move is an intentional act to force Palestinians out of Gaza under the guise of voluntary emigration, denying them their right to return to Gaza.

The extremely dire humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, where Israel has created conditions that undermine the possibility of sustaining life, is the product of a deliberate policy aimed at encouraging, and in practice, forcing transfer. The organizations stressed that any encouragement of departure under such conditions constitutes forced transfer, which is prohibited under international law and amounts to a war crime and a crime against humanity.

Thank you for supporting Adalah's emergency solidarity work. This work is possible due to your contributions toward defending Palestinians’ human rights.

In solidarity,

The Adalah team.