
“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:
- >400 Gazans killed, one of its deadliest weeks. Israel is trying to empty Gaza City’s civilian population, as it aims to turn Gaza into a “real estate bonanza”.
- Spain, Britain, Italy, EU, Portugal, and Brazil are all supporting Gaza through recognition of Palestine, trade cutoffs from Israel, and other forms of diplomacy.
- The UN has officially declared that Israel is committing a genocide in Gaza.
- The US vetoed a UNSC ceasefire resolution. Trump is trying to sell Israel $6.4B in arms. Senators are trying to push for action that supports Palestinian lives.
Takeaways:
- Israel is deliberately orchestrating the elimination of Palestinians in Gaza.
- Several nations are pushing for Israel to stop the genocide, through financial, cultural, and diplomatic action. We ought to emulate this.
- America continues backing a country confirmed to be committing a genocide.
- The Trump administration is actively bolstering Israel’s criminal project through policy and arms, which senators need help combatting.
As your constituents we urge you to:
- Push for de-escalation in Gaza City.
- Support politicians who are pushing for peace in Gaza.
- Join others in recognizing Palestinian statehood.
- Divest from Israel-supporting businesses.
“Gaza is burning”
- Gaza City is burning, with its residents forcefully expelled
- >400 Gazans killed, in one of the deadliest weeks in 2 years:
- 9/14 – >53 Gazans killed. [Al Jazeera]
- 9/15 – >51 Gazans killed, many in Gaza City, 3 journalists. [Al Jazeera]
- 9/16 – >106 Gazans killed. [Al Jazeera]
- 9/17 – >61 Gazans killed in Gaza City. [Al Jazeera]
- 9/18 – >50 Gazans killed, many in Gaza City. [Al Jazeera]
- 9/20 – >91 Gazans killed, many in Gaza City. [Al Jazeera]
- 9/5 – UNRWA report: [UNRWA]
- >902,700 Gazans displaced since March 18th 2025
- >64,656 Gazans killed since Oct 7th
- 991 Palestinians in West Bank killed since Oct 7th
- 9/14 – Israel destroyed >30 residential buildings in Gaza, as Marco Rubio visited Israel. [Reuters]
- 9/14 – Doctors in Gaza say they have treated more than 100 children shot in the head or chest. [Al Jazeera]
- 9/16 – Israel declared “Gaza is burning” as it unleashed its long-threatened ground assault on Gaza City. [Reuters]
- 9/17 – Israel is trying to fully empty Gaza City of civilians by opening an additional route for 48 hours for exit. [Reuters]
- 9/18 – Gaza City’s internet and phone lines were cut for several hours, as tanks pushed into the city. [Reuters]
- 9/18 – WHO: Gaza’s hospitals are on the “brink of collapse”. [Al Jazeera]
- 9/19 – Israel is pounding Gaza City with some of the heaviest strikes in 2 years of war. [Al Jazeera]
- >400 Gazans killed, in one of the deadliest weeks in 2 years:
- Israel and the West Bank
- 9/14 – Israeli forces arrested Palestinian woman during a Hebron raid. [Al Jazeera]
- 9/17 – Israel’s Finance Minister says there’s a “business plan” to turn Gaza into a “real estate bonanza”. [Al Jazeera]

Palestinians are forced to move southward by the Israeli military. [Reuters]
Certified Genocide, Total Boycott
- Concrete actions against Israel’s crimes
- 9/15 – Spain: Israel should be banned from international sports until its “barbaric acts” end. [Reuters]
- 9/15 – Britain banned Israelis from attending a prestigious London defence studies college due to the genocide. [Reuters]
- 9/16 – Israel launched an attack against Yemen’s port of Hodeidah. [Al Jazeera]
- 9/17 – European Commission proposed suspending a trade arrangement affecting about $6.87B of Israeli exports. [Reuters]
- 9/18 – The Italian port of Ravenna refused entry to two trucks carrying arms to Israel. [Reuters]
- 9/19 – Portugal will recognize a Palestinian state. [Reuters]
- 9/20 – Brazil joins South Africa’s genocide case against Israel at the ICJ. [Al Jazeera]
- Continued condemnations from nations and organizations
- 9/15 – Egypt: Israel’s current actions hinder any chances of new peace treaties in the Middle East. [Reuters]
- 9/15 – UN special rapporteur on Palestine: Israel is trying to make Gaza City unlivable in its assault. [Reuters]
- 9/16 – UN: it is “inhumane” to expect hundreds of thousands of children to leave Gaza City as camps were unsafe and overcrowded. [Reuters]
- 9/16 – The UN Commission of Inquiry concluded that Israel is committing a genocide in Gaza. [Reuters]
- 9/17 – >20 aid agencies working in Gaza called on world leaders to “urgently intervene” in the war. [Al Jazeera]

Italian port workers are blocking arms for Israel. [Reuters]
Vetoes and Arms Sales
- Senatorial pushback with Trump’s continued support of war crimes
- 9/14 – Marco Rubio visited Israel, while it ramped up its genocide of Gaza. [Al Jazeera]
- 9/16 – Members of the University of California sued Trump’s administration over freezing federal funds and stifling academic freedom. [Reuters]
- 9/17 – Jerry of Ben & Jerry’s quit after a rift with Unilever. [Reuters]
- 9/17 – Senator Bernie Sanders described Israel’s assault on Gaza as a genocide, and he needs support in this regard. [Al Jazeera]
- 9/18 – Some senators introduced the first Senate resolution to urge recognition of a Palestinian state, and they need support. [Reuters]
- 9/18 – US immigration judge ordered Mahmoud Khalil be deported over claims of green card application issues. [Reuters]
- 9/18 – The US vetoed a crucial UN Security Council ceasefire resolution. [Al Jazeera]
- 9/19 – The US held talks with Gulf Arab states about the possibility that it could administer Gaza post-war. [Reuters]
- 9/19 – Trump is seeking congressional approval to sell Israel $6.4B in support equipment and weapons. [Reuters]

The US vetoed a UN Security Council resolution demanding a ceasefire in Gaza. [Al Jazeera]