Though more than a year and a half has passed since the October 7 massacre, thousands of victims are awaiting justice for the atrocities inflicted against them. October 7 Justice Without Borders, a nonprofit founded by Israeli international criminal law attorney Yael Vias Gvirsman, is working to ensure that justice for the atrocities of the massacre does not stop at national boundaries.
The organization represents over 350 direct victims of the October 7 atrocities—survivors of attacks on southern Israeli communities, bereaved families, and hostages and their families. Still, more than 1,000 are hoping to receive assistance, providing “Our goal is to anchor the truth in legal procedures, not just social media narratives,” says Vias Gvirsman, who brings 20 years of experience from tribunals in Rwanda, Sudan, and The Hague to this mission.
October 7 Justice Without Borders has initiated legal actions in multiple jurisdictions, including the International Criminal Court (ICC), Germany, France, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Israel. These actions include criminal proceedings against individuals and civil lawsuits targeting states, companies, and organizations accused of facilitating terror.
“For two years, I worked with my law clinic with Ukrainian partners to gather material to collect and preserving evidence for investigations, and prosecutions of international crimes [in the Russia-Ukraine War],” she said. Now that it’s close to home, though, her experience is different.
“I've never done this at home… there was never a need. This time I'm bringing it home.”
This would lead to one of the organization’s most notable moves. Their October 15 submission to the ICC—just eight days after the massacre. That initial case involved 37 victims; today, that number has grown nearly tenfold. The group is now coordinating with global prosecutors and applying international legal principles like universal jurisdiction to bring cases forward. “Our legal response is as global as the crimes themselves,” Vias Gvirsman explains.
Emphasis on survivor empowerment
The organization placed significant emphasis on survivor empowerment. Every client is represented pro bono. A poignant moment for Vias Gvirsman came when she received a call from a former hostage just days after his release. “I represent you in The Hague, in Germany, in France, in the UN, anywhere you want,” she told him. His response: “I am ready.”
These words, she says, illustrate how justice can be restorative—not just punitive. “Justice is not a panacea. But without it, I don't see how reconstruction can begin,” she said. “Justice has a restorative sort of characteristic, to be able to distinguish right from wrong, truth from false, and to recognize rights and recognized perpetrators as well, to name the perpetrators and to acknowledge the victims.”
From disaster zones to legal advocacy
The organization isn’t just filing lawsuits—it’s gathering and preserving evidence of war crimes, including extermination, torture, and sexual violence. In November, the ICC issued an arrest warrant for a senior Hamas commander, citing some of this evidence. More cases are in the pipeline.
The team is also supporting major civil litigation, including a recent lawsuit filed in New York against UNRWA. Additional legal actions are underway against financial institutions and entities accused of indirectly enabling Hamas.
“There are some crimes so horrific they shock the conscience of humanity. They are not just Israel’s problem. They are everyone’s problem,” Vias Gvirsman said, taking note that the
October 7 Justice Without Borders does not accept state funding, relying instead on donations and philanthropic support. Their goal is to sustain operations for at least three more years, after which civil case outcomes may help fund continued advocacy.
“We’re non-political,” Vias Gvirsman says. “We’re doing what the state cannot—representing victims internationally, building evidentiary cases, and working with prosecutors who wouldn’t otherwise have access to these stories.”
The capacity of the organization has expanded beyond global borders, understanding that though the world.
Among the clients is the family of Shani Louk, the 22-year-old woman whose desecrated body was paraded by Hamas. Her parents have been working with the organization to ensure her legacy reflects her artistry and spirit—not the viral image that shocked the world.
Another is Nira, a survivor from Kibbutz Be’eri who directed IDF forces from a safe room while her home was under attack, later identifying victims herself. “We represent heroes,” Vias Gvirsman affirms.
As antisemitism spikes globally and trauma reverberates through Israeli society, the group continues its legal pursuit of justice. But they can’t do it alone.
“People think they can’t make a difference,” says Garance. “But a simple message of empathy—one moment of listening—can give someone strength to carry on.”
For international prosecutors like Vias Gvirsman and the October 7 Justice Without Borders team, this is personal, professional, and profoundly moral. “We will never give up,” she says. “October 7 was a day of darkness—but through justice, we can shine a light that reaches beyond borders.”