“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 as Israel participates in peace talks with Hamas. Raids and injustice persist in the West Bank.
- Israel exhibits piracy as it detains ~450 Sumud Flotilla members nearing the coast of Gaza. Countries continue divesting and halting trade with Israel.
- Trump’s administration continues trying to stifle free speech on college campuses, as it proposes a 20-point ceasefire plan.
Takeaways:
- Even as peace talks grow, Israel continues murdering hundreds of Gazans.
- Israel has broken international maritime law.
- Countries are showing how to use economic pressure against Israel’s crimes.
- Trump has demonstrated America’s influence over Israel’s military.
As your constituents we urge you to:
- Push for de-escalation in Gaza City.
- Give justice to US citizens who were aboard the Flotilla.
- Protect freedom of speech in America.
- Divest from Israel-supporting businesses, and use that money at home.
Bombardment Amid Peace Talks
- As Israel talks peace, it puts hostages in danger and terrorizes the West Bank
- >400 Gazans killed by Israel, who simultaneously sits at peace talks:
- 9/28 – >40 Gazans killed, many in refugee camps. [Al Jazeera]
- 9/29 – >33 Gazans killed. [Al Jazeera]
- 9/30 – >59 Gazans killed. [Al Jazeera]
- 10/1 – >73 Gazans killed, many in Gaza City. [Al Jazeera]
- 10/2 – >53 Gazans killed. [Al Jazeera]
- 10/3 – >72 Gazans killed, half in Gaza City. [Al Jazeera]
- 10/4 – >70 Gazans killed, alongside Trump’s demand for the bombing to stop. [Al Jazeera]
- 9/29 – UNRWA report: [UNRWA]
- >1.1M displaced since March 18th
- >65,419 Gazans killed since Oct 7th
- 996 Palestinians in West Bank killed since Oct 7th
- 9/28 – Two captives held in Gaza City are in danger as Israeli tanks push deeper. [Al Jazeera]
- 9/30 – Netanyahu agreed to Trump’s peace plan, as 59 Gazans were killed that same day. [Al Jazeera]
- 9/30 – Israeli soldiers detained Palestinian children for “spying” in the West Bank. [Al Jazeera]
- 9/30 – 25 years since 12-year-old Muhammad al-Durrah was shot in Gaza. [Al Jazeera]
- 10/1 – Israeli soldiers carry out attacks across the West Bank, including in a refugee camp, Nablus, and Hebron. [Al Jazeera]
- 10/2 – Israeli tanks blocked the main road to Gaza City, blocking refugees from re-entering. [Reuters]
- >400 Gazans killed by Israel, who simultaneously sits at peace talks:
- Hundreds are bombed as peace talks reach a pitch
- 9/29 – Trump published a 20-point peace proposal for Gaza that would end the war and require the return of all hostages within 72 hours. [Reuters]
- 9/29 – Analyst says that Trump’s peace plan lacks protections for Gazans. [Al Jazeera]
- 10/4 – Hamas showed readiness to release all Israeli hostages. [Reuters]
- 10/4 – Israel warned northern Gaza remains a “combat zone”, even as Trump demanded Israel “stop bombing”. [Al Jazeera]
“Smoke rises following explosions in Gaza City after Hamas agreed to release captives and accept several other terms in a US plan to end the war.” [Al Jazeera]
Piracy and Economic Combat
- Israel’s piracy against citizens of a myriad of countries
- 9/28 – The Sumud Flotilla set sail again for Gaza. [Reuters]
- 10/1 – Israeli forces boarded several Sumud Flotilla boats and detained them at an Israeli port. [Reuters]
- 10/3 – International protests against Israel detaining >450 activists from around the world, including Greta Thunberg. [Reuters]
- 10/4 – Greta Thunberg was dragged on the ground and forced to kiss the Israeli flag while detained. [Al Jazeera]
- Governments demonstrate concrete action mixed with diplomacy
- 9/29 – The UN children’s charity called for an immediate evacuation to save at least 25 ill or premature babies in incubators. [Reuters]
- 10/1 – Dutch pension fund ABP sold its entire stake in Caterpillar due to its complicity in Israeli crimes. [Reuters]
- 10/1 – The Red Cross said it had been forced to temporarily suspend operations in Gaza City and relocate staff. [Reuters]
- 10/1 – Italy’s foreign minister said that Israel assured it wouldn’t use violence against the activists aboard the Sumud Flotilla. [Reuters]
- 10/3 – The Netherlands Supreme Court ordered the government to review its policies on weapons exports to Israel. [Reuters]
- 10/3 – Pakistan: Trump’s 20 points for his peace plan in Gaza were not in line with a draft presented by Muslim-majority countries. [Reuters]
Activists detained by Israel were brutally tortured; Thunberg was forced to kiss the Israeli flag while being dragged. [Al Jazeera]
Crackdowns and Influences
- Trump’s complicity in his crackdown on free speech
- 9/29 – Trump’s administration said it would start a process that could lead to Harvard becoming ineligible for federal funding. [Reuters]
- 9/29 – Trump’s administration filed an antisemitism complaint against the California University system, over its pro-Palestine protests. [Reuters]
- 9/30 – US judge rules that Trump was unconstitutional in revoking visas, arresting, and detaining pro-Palestinian students and faculty. [Reuters]
- 9/30 – Justice Dept. said it would probe University of Nevada, Las Vegas, over claims of antisemitism, and its pro-Palestine protests. [Reuters]
- Meddling with the Middle-East
- 10/1 – The FBI cut ties with the Anti-Defamation League. [Reuters]
- 10/2 – Trump’s administration approved $230M for Lebanon’s security forces, which could be spent solving problems over here. [Reuters]
- 10/4 – Trump orders Israel to stop bombing Gaza, demonstrating American control over Israel’s military. [Al Jazeera]
Trump approved $230M for Lebanon’s security forces, which could be used here at home. [Reuters]