“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:
- ~93 Gazans killed since Oct. 10th by Israeli airstrikes, as the food supply remains insufficient. Received Palestinian prisoners show signs of execution and torture.
- Israeli settlers and soldiers step up violence in the West Bank with raids, as the parliament tries moving forward with annexation. Israel bombs Lebanon.
- The aid entering Gaza is drastically insufficient, and organizations are calling for more aid to be delivered and more captives to be freed.
- Lawmakers are urging Trump to release US citizen Mohammed Ibrahim from Israeli detention, as most Americans support Palestinian statehood.
Takeaways:
- The ceasefire is a rubber-stamp. Israel is violating it constantly.
- The settlers in the West Bank are committing terrorism without penalty.
- America does have the ability to influence Israeli decisionmaking.
- There are pushes for peace by Americans, which should be supported.
As your constituents we urge you to:
- Call for a complete end to the killing in Gaza, and a start to the flow of aid.
- Demand penalties for those responsible for war crimes.
- Call for the release of Mohammed Ibrahim from Israeli detention.
- Divest from Israel-supporting businesses and organizations, and use those funds at home.
93 Killed
- Israel repeatedly violates the ceasefire and imposes terrorism in the West Bank.
- 10/20 – UNRWA report: [UNRWA]
- 67,938 Gazans killed since Oct. 7th
- 1,002 West Bank Palestinians killed since Oct. 7th
- 10/23 – OCHA update on the West Bank: [OCHA]
- 40 children killed by Israeli forces in the West Bank in 2025
- 65 Palestinians killed in Jenin in 2025
- 86 settler attacks related to the olive harvest season since early October 2025
- 3 Palestinians killed between 14th and 20th October
- 10/19 – >40 Gazans killed in an Israeli attack. [Al Jazeera]
- 10/19 – Netanyahu: Rafah border will remain closed until further notice. [Reuters]
- 10/19 – Israeli military said ceasefire resumed, after a wave of airstrikes that killed 26 Gazans. [Reuters]
- 10/19 – Israel has sent gangs and militias to “wreak havoc” in Gaza. [Al Jazeera]
- 10/19 – Israel launched >20 air strikes on southern Gaza. [Al Jazeera]
- 10/20 – Israel’s National Security Minister is calling for a return to war in Gaza. [Al Jazeera]
- 10/23 – Food supply into Gaza is not meeting the nutritional needs of people in Gaza. [Reuters]
- 10/23 – Clearing Gaza’s surface of unexploded ordnance will likely take 20-30 years. [Reuters]
- 10/24 – Israeli protestors block aid trucks going into Gaza. [Al Jazeera]
- 10/25 – ~93 Gazans killed since Oct. 10th ceasefire, with 1.5M in need of “emergency assistance”. [Al Jazeera]
- 10/20 – UNRWA report: [UNRWA]
- Captive market
- 10/19 – Hamas turned over the remains of 2 more deceased Israeli captives from Gaza. [Al Jazeera]
- 10/22 – Bodies of 54 unidentified Palestinians, returned to Gaza by Israel with some showing sings of torture and execution, are busied at a mass grave. [Al Jazeera]
- 10/23 – Israel transferred 30 more Palestinian bodies, raising the total to 195. [Al Jazeera]
- 10/24 – Israel released ~2,000 Palestinians from custody in exchange for 20 Israeli hostages held by Hamas. [Reuters]
- Extreme West Bank terrorism during the olive harvest season
- 10/20 – Witnesses say ~200 armed settlers opened fire on farmers and burned cars in Turmus Ayya, the West Bank. [Al Jazeera]
- 10/22 – A bill that potentially moved forward with annexation of the West Bank was approved by Israel’s parliament. [Reuters]
- 10/22 – Israel: “99%” of settlers are law-abiding, as they continue daily assaults on Palestinians. [Al Jazeera]
- 10/24 – Palestinian teenager dies of wounds sustained during an Israeli raid on Askar camp, Nablus. [Al Jazeera]
Israel fires airstrikes into Gaza on Oct. 19th, before saying the ceasefire is resumed. [Reuters]
Aid and Aggression
- Organizations call for aid, Israel’s international aggression persists
- 10/20 – UN World Food Programme said supplies into Gaza were ramping up but were still far short of its daily target. [Reuters]
- 10/22 – Doctors are mobilizing and calling for action to demand the release of ~94 Palestinian medics currently held captive by Israel. [Al Jazeera]
- 10/24 – An Israeli drone strike killed 2 people in southern Lebanon. [Al Jazeera]
Doctors around the world are demanding the release of 95 Palestinian medics detained by Israel. [Al Jazeera]
America Second
- Most American citizens and lawmakers support Palestine — except Trump
- 10/22 – 27 US lawmakers have urged Trump to secure the release of 16-year-old citizen Mohammed Ibrahim from Israeli detention. [Al Jazeera]
- 10/23 – US is considering a humanitarian aid plan in Gaza to replace the controversial GHF. [Reuters]
- 10/23 – 59% of Americans (80% of Democrats and 41% of Republicans) think the US should recognize Palestinian statehood. [Reuters]
- 10/24 – Trump dismissed Israel’s push for annexation of the West Bank, showing America’s influence over it. [Reuters]
59% of Americans support US recognition of Palestinian statehood. 60% view Israel’s Gaza response as excessive. [Reuters]