The Justice Ministry’s Legal Aid Unit initiated more than 111,500 cases in 2024 to provide legal aid for eligible low-income individuals, according to a ministry report.
There was growing demand for legal aid, particularly among vulnerable populations affected by the ongoing war, the report said.
More than 2,600 cases concerned victims of the October 7 massacre, including families of those murdered and kidnapped on October 7, 2023, and bereaved families from the ensuing Israel-Hamas War.
The majority of cases involved civil and debt issues (45,101), family and personal status (35,958), and issues related to the National Insurance Institute (10,410), the report said.
Legal Aid Unit attorneys also represented victims of homicide and sexual violence, minors, the elderly, and individuals facing compulsory psychiatric hospitalization.
Post-October 7 aid
A special unit was established following the October 7 massacre to provide targeted legal support to bereaved families, hostages, and survivors. Assistance has included securing recognition of rights and social benefits, resolving debts, and representing clients in court.
In one instance, attorneys represented a grandmother who had raised her slain grandson and enabled her to receive the status of a bereaved mother.
In another, attorneys helped individuals whose slain siblings were their legal guardians to attain recognition as orphans, thereby entitling them to lifelong stipends.
Another example was the validation of a will that burned during the October 7 massacre in Kibbutz Be’eri. Attorneys worked to secure inheritance rights for the non-biological daughter of the slain owners of the will.
Attorneys also fought for debt cancellation for a slain IDF soldier, as well as financial relief for families of hostages and captivity survivors.
The Legal Aid Unit also represented individuals who were involuntarily hospitalized due to trauma from the October 7 massacre.
In 2024, at the urging of the Legal Aid Unit, the courts ordered the publication of the names of sexual offenders despite their objections.