“Bismillaahir-rahmaanir raheem”
(In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful)
Watermelon Wednesday is a weekly brief shared with our elected officials to ensure they are aware of Israel’s aggression, the Palestinian experience, and our country’s complicity in this genocide and international war crimes.
TL;DR:
- >200 Gazans killed this week, including via starvation and at aid sites; journalists assassinated; Gaza City faces heavy bombardment and planned evictions.
- Israel announced a settlement cutting off East Jerusalem from the West Bank to “bury” Palestinian statehood.
- Action against Israel, including Germany curbing arms, Norway divesting from Israeli companies, and France calling for a UN coalition to stabilize Gaza.
- Trump’s administration remains complicit by ignoring Israel’s human rights violations and blocking Gazan visas, yet calls for journalist access into Gaza.
Takeaways:
- Israel has begun its grand plan to illegally evict Gaza City and pulverize it.
- Via illegal settlements, Israel is trying to dissolve any possible Palestinian state.
- Countries are concretely combating Israel, which we can emulate and follow.
- We need to push for journalist access to Gaza, while rejecting Trump’s soft stance on Israel’s brutality.
As your constituents we urge you to:
- Call for action that stops bombing of Gaza.
- Denounce Israel’s West Bank expansion.
- Join the world in concretely combatting Israel.
- Divest from Israel-supporting businesses.
Bombardment and Annexation
- Journalists assassinated, newfound bombardment in Gaza City
- While expanding into the West Bank, Israel’s brutality in Gaza escalates:
- 8/12 – >73 Gazans killed, including via starvation. [Al Jazeera]
- 8/13 – ~123 Gazans killed. [Reuters]
- 8/14 – >32 Gazans killed, many near aid sites. [Al Jazeera]
- 8/15 – UNRWA report: [UNRWA]
- 1.9M Gazans displaced since Oct 7th
- >780,358 Gazans displaced since March 18th 2025
- >61,722 Gazans killed since Oct 7th
- 100 Gaza children died of starvation since Oct 7th
- 995 Palestinians in West Bank killed since Oct 7th
- 8/10 – Several journalists, including Anas al-Sharif, killed by targeted Israeli attack in Gaza City. [Al Jazeera]
- 8/11 – Gazans report heaviest bombardments in weeks on areas east of Gaza City. [Reuters]
- 8/11 – Israel has killed ~270 journalists and media workers since Oct 7th. [Al Jazeera]
- 8/13 – Israeli military chief of staff approved “main framework” for an attack plan in Gaza. [ABC]
- 8/13 – Israeli tanks and planes bombarded eastern Gaza City, killing 11. [Reuters]
- 8/15 – Gaza City faces constant bombardment as the military prepares a major offensive to seize and evict residents. [Al Jazeera]
- 8/16 – Israel to forcibly evict Palestinians from “combat zones” to southern Gaza. [CBS]
- While expanding into the West Bank, Israel’s brutality in Gaza escalates:
- Concurrent with genocide, illegal expansion in the West Bank
- 8/13 – Palestinian man in West Bank shot dead in attack instigated by Israeli settlers. [Al Jazeera]
- 8/14 – Israel announced a settlement cutting off East Jerusalem from the West Bank to “bury” Palestinian statehood. [Haaretz]
- Dissent in Israel
- 8/10 – Thousands protested in Tel Aviv against Netanyahu’s plan to escalate in Gaza. [Reuters]
- 8/12 – Mothers of Israeli hostages held in Gaza fear a planned Israeli offensive could further endanger their sons’ lives. [Reuters]
- 8/13 – Israel is considering evicting Gazans to South Sudan, a plan quickly rejected by Palestinian leaders. [Haaretz]
- 8/14 – Mossad spy chief to visit Qatar to revive Gaza peace talks. [Middle-East Eye]
Israel’s finance minister shows the plan for illegal settlements that separate East Jerusalem and the West Bank. [Reuters]
A Rising Coalition
- Concrete action against Israel’s crimes
- 8/10 – Germany to curb arms exports to Israel. [Reuters]
- 8/10 – Australia to recognize Palestinian statehood in September. [AP]
- 8/10 – Senior UN official: Israel’s plan to seize Gaza City risked “another calamity” in Gaza. [UN]
- 8/11 – New Zealand considering recognition of a Palestinian state. [Reuters]
- 8/11 – France’s Macron proposed an international coalition under a UN mandate to stabilize Gaza. [Reuters]
- 8/11 – UK Prime Minister: “gravely concerned” over repeated targeting of journalists in Gaza. [Reuters]
- 8/12 – UK, Canada, Australia, and 21 other countries: the crisis in Gaza has reached “unimaginable levels.” [CBC]
- 8/12 – Denmark to airdrop aid into Gaza. [Reuters]
- 8/12 – UN Secretery-General warned Israel of concerns about patterns of sexual violence by its armed and security forces. [Reuters]
- 8/12 – Norway’s $2 trillion wealth fund has divested from 11 Israeli companies. [Al Jazeera]
- 8/13 – Spain signalled support for an international coalition under the UN to stabilize Gaza. [Reuters]
- 8/14 – >100 aid groups accused Israel of obstructing life-saving aid from entering Gaza. [BBC]
- Concerns over plans for illegal settlement expansion
- 8/14 – UK: Israeli plans to divide the West Bank and cut it off from East Jerusalem marked breach in international law. [Reuters]
- 8/14 – EU: Israeli settlement plan is not in line with international law. [Reuters]
- 8/15 – Germany called on Israel to stop settlement construction in the West Bank. [DW]
- 8/15 – UN: Israeli plan to build settlements in the West Bank and near East Jerusalem is illegal, risking forced eviction of Palestinians. [Reuters]
Norway’s $2 trillion sovereign wealth fund, the world’s largest, divested from 11 Israeli companies. [Al Jazeera]
Zionist Grip on America
- Trump’s administration continues complicity with Israel
- 8/12 – Aid airdrops into Gaza were never a serious option, says Trump’s administration. [Reuters]
- 8/12 – Trump’s administration scaled back a report on human rights, softening criticism of Israel’s crimes. [BBC]
- 8/13 – U.S. pediatrician in Gaza reports aid seekers’ wounds indicate Israeli forces deliberately targeted specific body parts. [Al Jazeera]
- 8/14 – Trump would like to see journalists gain access to Gaza to see humanitarian efforts. [Reuters]
- 8/16 – State Dept. is stopping all visitor visas for people from Gaza. [NPR]
The US State Dept. stopped all visitor visas for people from Gaza. [ABC]