Attorneys Robert Tolchin of New York City and Nitsana Darshan-Leitner of the Israel-based human rights organization "Shurat HaDin-Israel Law Center" have dispatched a stern warning letter to the Israeli energy company Dor Alon Energy demanding that it immediately stop supplying fuel to Hamas in the Gaza Strip or face both criminal and civil actions in United States. The letter was sent by the attorneys on behalf of victims of recent Hamas "qassam" missile attacks in Southern Israel.

Supplying fuel to the Hamas controlled Gaza Strip, it is alleged, is a direct violation of American law which prohibits aiding, abetting and providing material support to terrorist organizations. In addition, to criminal prosecution, the attorneys have warned that Dor Alon would be facing civil actions in American courts that could potentially award the American and Israeli victims of the Hamas missile attacks millions of dollars in compensation.

Dor Alon is the exclusive supplier of fuel to the Gaza Strip. Senior Israeli military officials have confirmed that the Hamas terrorist organization seizes over 50% of all the fuel supplied by Dor Alon immediately upon arrival to the Gaza side of the fuel depot. The fuel is then utilized by Hamas for terrorist activities - namely manufacturing, transportation and launching missiles at Israeli civilian communities and transporting terrorists to and from launch sites and other areas.

Hamas is classified as a terrorist organization by Israel, the United States and the European Union. Despite being on notice that its fuel is being appropriated by Hamas for terrorist activities, Dor Alon continues to deliver 800,000 liters of gas each week to Gaza.

Dor Alon Energy's sister company, Alon U.S.A., which trades on the NYSE under the ticker ALJ, operates sour and heavy crude oil refineries in Texas, California and Oregon. Alon USA also markets fuel products in south, central, southwestern and western United States through a network of some 1,100 locations under the FINA brand name. These include 308 Seven-Eleven brand convenience stores located in Texas and New Mexico.

"Dor Alon Energy has continually chosen to place its own financial welfare above the security concerns of the residents of Sderot and the Western Negev who have to suffer daily attacks launched upon them from Gaza using the fuel supplied by the company," explained Attorney Darshan-Leitner. "Dor Alon knows that supplying fuel to Hamas is an offense under the Israeli and American law and that the fuel it supplies serves the Hamas terrorist infrastructure -- yet still chooses to ignore the ramifications of its actions. Our clients, the victims of this on-going travesty, demand that Dor Alon Energy immediately cease the supply of fuel to Hamas in Gaza before more innocent people are hurt."