In November 2009, Gisha campaigned on behalf of a Gaza resident, Berlanty Azzam, who was living illegally in the West Bank. Azzam had been studying in Bethlehem, but allegedly never had a permit to enter the West Bank. In October, she was arrested and returned to Gaza.

The Israeli High Court of Justice heard several petitions filed by Gisha on the case, including an “emergency hearing” on November 30. However, the court rejected Gisha’s arguments that an exception should be made for Azzam, in particular because she knowingly entered the West Bank without a permit.

Gisha frequently brings claims in Israeli courts that Israeli policy on Gaza “violate[s] the rights of Palestinian students to access education,” such as a case brought in May 2009. As with the Azzam case, the High Court granted Gisha a platform for its arguments, but rejected its petition. Gisha’s budget for this legal campaigning comes from the EU, Oxfam-GB, Ireland, Open Society Institute, NGO Development Center [Switzerland, Sweden, Denmark, Netherlands], and others.