“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:
- 300+ Gazans killed, including in “humanitarian zones”; Israel strikes Nasser Hospital, kills 5 journalists, and advances in Gaza City demolitions and evictions.
- Israel launches a prolonged raid on the West Bank, wounding >80. It increases aggression on neighbors, invading or bombarding Yemen, Syria, and Lebanon.
- International entities continue condemning Israel’s crimes. Norway’s $2T wealth fund divests from Caterpillar. An aid ship fleet sets sail from Spain for Gaza.
- Senators denounce anti-Palestinian violence, advocates seek Floridian Mohammed Ibraheem’s release; Trump blocks PA President from UN meeting.
Takeaways:
- While attending peace talks, Israel escalates against Gazans and journalists.
- Israel is aggressing both the West Bank and several Middle-East neighbors.
- International entities are taking concrete actions to counter Israel’s crimes.
- Hundreds of Americans are calling for peace in Palestine, yet Trump’s administration insists on acting on prejudice against the Palestinians.
As your constituents we urge you to:
- Push for free entry of aid into Gaza.
- Denounce Israel’s West Bank encroachment.
- Call for Abbas’s attendance and Mohammed Ibraheem’s release.
- Divest from Israel-supporting businesses.
Demolition, Famine, and Raids
- Ceasefire talks, demolition of Gaza City, and raids in the West Bank
- >300 Gazans killed, even within “humanitarian zones”:
- 8/24 – >51 Gazans killed. [Al Jazeera]
- 8/28 – >61 Gazans killed. [Al Jazeera]
- 8/29 – >67 Gazans killed, including in a “humanitarian zone”. [Al Jazeera]
- 8/30 – >77 Gazans killed. [Al Jazeera]
- 8/22 – UNRWA report: [UNRWA]
- 1.9M Gazans displaced since Oct 7th
- >796,000 Gazans displaced since March 18th 2025
- >62,122 Gazans killed since Oct 7th
- 995 Palestinians in West Bank killed since Oct 7th
- 8/24 – WHO said it took four weeks for Israel to release one of its staff members in Gaza from detainment. [Reuters]
- 8/24 – Israel completely destroyed >1,000 buildings in Zeitoun and Sabra neighborhoods in Gaza City since August 6th. [Al Jazeera]
- 8/25 – Israel struck Nasser hospital in Khan Younis, Gaza. >20 killed, including 5 journalists. [Haaretz]
- 8/26 – Palestinian journalists in Gaza City protested Israel’s killing of their colleagues at Nasser Hospital. [Al Jazeera]
- 8/27 – Israeli tanks pushed into a new area of Gaza City, evicting its residents, ahead of the meeting on the war with Trump. [Reuters]
- 8/28 – Israeli Finance Minister called for the annexation of Gaza if Hamas refuses to disarm. [Al Jazeera]
- 8/29 – WHO has run out of critical medical supplies in Gaza it needs to treat a surge in rare paralysis-causing syndrome. [Reuters]
- 8/29 – Israel said a local humanitarian pause in military activity will not apply to Gaza City. [Reuters]
- >300 Gazans killed, even within “humanitarian zones”:
- Israel and the West Bank
- 8/26 – Israeli army launched a prolonged raid on occupied West Bank towns, using live rounds, tear gas, and rubber-coated bullets. [AP]
- 8/26 – Israelis stage “Day of Disruption” to pressure the Israeli government to win release of hostages in Gaza. [NBC]
- 8/27 – Israel asked the IPC to retract its assessment that Gaza is suffering from famine, dismissing it as “deeply flawed”. [Reuters]
- 8/27 – >80 people wounded as Israeli forces raid West Bank. [Al Jazeera]
- 8/27 – Israeli Foreign Minister said there was no plan for a Palestinian state. [Reuters]
Israel struck Nasser Hospital, killing 20, including 5 journalists. [Reuters]
Borders, Encroached and Challenged
- Israeli international aggression
- 8/25 – Israeli bombardment killed 10 in Sanaa, Yemen. [AP]
- 8/25 – Israel sent 60 soldiers to take control of an area inside the Syrian border around Mount Hermon. [Reuters]
- 8/29 – 2 Lebanese military personnel were killed when an Israeli drone crashed and exploded in southern Lebanon. [Middle-East Eye]
- 8/30 – Prime Minister of Yemen’s government and several other ministers killed in an Israeli strike on Sanaa. [CBS]
- Condemnations persist alongside concrete action.
- 8/25 – Press freedom groups and countries condemned Israel over the killing of 5 Palestinian journalists. [Al Jazeera]
- 8/26 – Norway’s $2T wealth fund divested from Caterpillar. [Reuters]
- 8/27 – Pope Leo made a “strong appeal” to the global community for a ceasefire. [Reuters]
- 8/27 – Italy’s Prime Minister said that her government condemned the “unacceptable” killing of journalists in Gaza. [AP]
- 8/27 – All UN Security Council members, except the US, said the famine in Gaza was a “manmade crisis”. [Reuters]
- 8/28 – More food aid is reaching Gaza, but still is far from enough to prevent starvation. [Reuters]
- 8/29 – Pro-Palestinian activists prepare to set sail from Spain for Gaza in dozens of boats carrying aid. [Reuters]
- 8/29 – Turkey decided to bar Israeli vessels from using its ports, and forbid Turkish ships from using Israeli ports. [Reuters]
- 8/29 – Human rights lawyers filed a criminal complaint in Argentina seeking the arrest of Netanyahu if he sets food in the country. [Reuters]
- 8/30 – Head of Red Cross warned that it would be impossible to keep people safe during a mass evacuation of Gaza City. [Reuters]
Except for the US, all UN Security Council members said the famine in Gaza is a “man-made crisis”. [Reuters]
Repressed Majority
- Hundreds of Americans call for Palestinian peace, Trump insists on prejudice
- 8/27 – US envoy tells journalists in Lebanon to act “civilised” not “animalistic”, revealing our administration’s prejudice. [Middle-East Eye]
- 8/27 – Israeli cybersecurity official accused of trying to meet a 15-year-old girl for sex has been ordered to appear via video next week. [Reuters]
- 8/27 – Trump presided over a policy meeting on Israel’s war in Gaza and post-war plans. [Reuters]
- 8/27 – 2 US senators condemned violence against Palestinians after visiting the attacked historic church in the West Bank. [Al Jazeera]
- 8/27 – Advocates and relatives are pressing Trump to push Israel to release detained Floridian Mohammed Ibraheem. [Al Jazeera]
- 8/29 – Microsoft fired four employees for protesting its ties to Israel. [CBS]
- 8/29 – US blocked Palestinian President from attending UN meeting in NYC on Palestinian statehood recognition. [BBC]
Mohammed Ibraheem, American citizen from Florida, is currently detained by Israel. [Al Jazeera]