Watermelon Wednesday #42: An Invisible, Stalled Ceasefire

By /

“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:

  • Israel has violated the ceasefire 1,193 times, killing 464 Gazans, even as we enter the second phase. Bombs continue to drop, and rubble continues to kill.
  • Israel to advance 2 illegal settlements, while raiding Palestinian property all over the West Bank, shooting dead one 14-year-old boy who threw stones.
  • Several world leaders are invited by Trump to his sketchy “Board of Peace”, as the US is urged to not intervene in Iran.
  • A federal judge describes Trump’s policies as “authoritarian”; several Americans are cautious regarding Trump’s foreign policy with Iran and Greenland; Trump begins the second phase of the ceasefire, as bombs continue to drop in Gaza.

Takeaways:

  • The advancement of the “ceasefire” has done little to improve Gazan lives.
  • Israel is colonizing the West Bank, where many US companies will operate.
  • We need to stay out of Iran and other foreign areas of unrest.
  • The Trump administration is doing little to improve American lives.

As your constituents we urge you to:

  • Call for a complete end to the ceasefire violations, and a stronger flow of aid.
  • Push for the American military to stay out of foreign countries.
  • Divest from Israeli companies operating on violently occupied land, and use those funds at home.

1,193 Violations, 464 Killed

  • As the second phase begins, the bombs never stop dropping
    • 1/17 – Since the ceasefire, Israel has killed 464 Palestinians, violating the truce 1,193 times. [IAK]
      • 1/11 – Israeli fire kills at least 3 Gazans. [Reuters]
      • 1/11 – Fourth Gazan baby freezes to death since November. [Al Jazeera]
      • 1/13 – ~5 Gazans killed as a winter storm topples buildings damaged by Israel. [Al Jazeera]
      • 1/15 – Israel kills ~10 Gazans, as the second phase of the ceasefire deal is announced. [Al Jazeera]
      • 1/16 – Israel kills ~3 Gazans, following the announcement of phase two. [Al Jazeera]
    • 1/14 – UNRWA report: [UNRWA]
      • 71,391 Gazans killed since Oct. 7th 2023
      • 1,059 West Bank Palestinians, 229 children, killed since Oct. 7th, 2023
    • 1/12 – Gazan children resume school in tents, many near the “yellow line” held by Israeli troops. [Reuters]
    • 1/13 – UN: >100 children have been killed in Gaza since the “ceasefire”. [Reuters]
    • 1/15 – Trump backs a “Palestinian Technocratic Government” in Gaza, which has been seen as a positive by Hamas. [Reuters] [Al Jazeera]
    • 1/15 – Many Gazans have said that the second phase of the ceasefire will do little to nothing to improve their lives. Bombs will still drop, aid still won’t be allowed. [Al Jazeera]
    • 1/16 – Since 2023, Israel’s genocide has left about 61M tonnes of rubble in Gaza. This could take 7 years without access to machinery. [Al Jazeera]
    • 1/17 – >80% of Gaza is in ruins. [Al Jazeera]
  • While it touts a “ceasefire” in Gaza, Israel terrorizes the West Bank
    • 1/7 – OCHA update on the West Bank: [OCHA]
      • “In 2025, more than 830 Palestinians were injured by Israeli settlers in settler attacks – an average of two Palestinians injured per day.
      • “Over the past two weeks, Israeli authorities demolished 50 structures in Area C and East Jerusalem for lacking building permits.
      • “Israeli authorities forcibly evicted two Palestinian families from their homes in Batn al Hawa area of Silwan, in East Jerusalem, in favour of an Israeli settler organization.
      • “The six last remaining families were displaced from Khirbet Yanun in Nablus governorate, where they had lived for more than 60 years, due to settler attacks.”
    • 1/11 – Israeli forces raid a Palestinian wedding in East Jerusalem, firing live ammunition and stun grenades. [Al Jazeera]
    • 1/12 – Israel to advance 2 illegal settlement plans for East Jerusalem, one of the final blows to a potential Palestinian state. [Al Jazeera]
    • 1/13 – Israel to demolish a soccer field in a refugee camp in the West Bank. [Reuters]
    • 1/15 – Israel launches raids and interrogations on more than 80 Palestinians in the West Bank. [Al Jazeera]
    • 1/16 – PTSD cases with Israeli soldiers have risen by ~40% since 2023, with soldiers “grappling with fear of death and moral injury”. [Reuters]
    • 1/16 – Israeli soldiers shoot dead a 14-year-old Palestinian boy throwing  rocks at them in the West Bank. [Reuters]

Prevention and Protest

  • The stalled “Board of Peace” enters fruition
    • 1/13 – UN Secretary-General warns Israel that he could refer it to the International Court of Justice for targeting the UNRWA. [Reuters]
    • 1/15 – Turkey’s foreign minister says that it is opposed to any military intervention in Iran. [Reuters]
    • 1/15 – Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, and Egypt talk with the US on preventing an attack on Iran. [Reuters]
    • 1/16 – Tony Blair named for Trump’s “Board of Peace” in Gaza. [Al Jazeera]
    • 1/17 – Several country leaders are invited to Trump’s “Board of Peace” initiative. [Reuters]

Unfulfilled Promises

  • Legal challenges from all sides
    • 1/14 – Betar US, a far-right Zionist group, to wind down New York operations after investigation into it intimidating pro-Palestinians. [Reuters]
    • 1/15 – Federal appeals court rules that a judge had no jurisdiction to release Mahmoud Khalil from immigration detention. We need officials to counter this. [Reuters]
    • 1/15 – Federal judge, describing Trump as “authoritarian”, says he will issue an order aimed to protect anti-deportation academics. [Reuters]
  • Many warn against Trump’s aggressive foreign policy
    • 1/14 – Analysts and diplomats warn of the possibility of American military intervention in Iran due to its protests. [Reuters]
    • 1/15 – ~17% of Americans approve of Trump’s desire to acquire Greenland. [Reuters]
    • 1/15 – US launches second phase of Trump’s plan, even as several elements of the first phase (e.g. ceasefire) remain unfulfilled. [Reuters]
    • 1/15 – Some experts argue that Trump’s policies are undermining his “America First” foreign policy agenda from the election. [Reuters]
    • 1/17 – Netanyahu says that Trump’s announcements on the Gaza executive board were not in line with Israeli policy. We need politicians to keep it that way. [Reuters]

Scroll to Top