“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:
- Since the ceasefire, 386 Palestinians killed, 738 violations. Winter storms in Gaza kill 14, as Israel continues to deny entry of aid.
- Israel approves hundreds of illegal housing units in the West Bank; Palestinians are killed including in captivity; the UNRWA in Jerusalem is raided by Israel.
- Ireland to curb good trade with Israeli settlements; ICC judges sanctioned by Trump suffer; UN demands unrestricted aid into Gaza.
- DeSantis and Randy Fine target American Muslims; Trump discusses UNRWA sanctions; lawmakers demand accountability for Israel’s 2023 journalist attack.
Takeaways:
- Even amidst a natural disaster, Israel isn’t allowing aid for Gazans.
- Israel is continuing its relentless colonization in Jerusalem and the West Bank.
- Several international groups are fighting Israel’s oppression.
- American politicians are oppressing Muslims; others are supporting justice.
As your constituents we urge you to:
- Call for a complete end to the killing in Gaza, and a stronger flow of aid.
- Push for free entry of shelter materials into Gaza.
- Protect Muslims in America, support initiatives that demand justice for journalists.
- Divest from Israeli companies operating on violently occupied land, and use those funds at home.
738 Violations, 386 Killed
- Amidst a natural disaster, Israel makes sure the destruction is unquelled
- 12/13 – Since the ceasefire, Israel has killed 386 Palestinians, violating the truce 738 times. [IAK]
- 12/9 – After months, Israel is set to reopen the Allenby Crossing with Jordan for passage of aid and goods. [Reuters]
- 12/12 – Despite extreme rain weather, shelter material and sandbags are not allowed into Gaza. [Reuters]
- 12/12 – At least 14 Gazans killed by Storm Byron. [Al Jazeera]
- 12/9 – UNRWA report: [UNRWA]
- 70,117 Gazans killed since Oct. 7th 2023
- 1,034 West Bank Palestinians killed since Oct. 7th, 2023
- 12/7 – Gazan’s healthcare system is on the brink of collapse, about two months after the ceasefire. [Al Jazeera]
- 12/7 – Israel and Hamas move towards phase two of the ceasefire. [Al Jazeera]
- 12/9 – UN: thousands of children have been admitted for acute malnutrition in Gaza; the ceasefire was supposed to enable aid. [Reuters]
- 12/10 – Palestinian woman says Israeli soldiers used her as a human shield during an operation in Gaza. [Al Jazeera]
- 12/11 – An eight-year-old baby in Gaza died from exposure to rains and cold temperatures. [Al Jazeera]
- 12/13 – Since the ceasefire, Israel has killed 386 Palestinians, violating the truce 738 times. [IAK]
- The Israeli terrorism project expands
- 12/11 – OCHA update on the West Bank: [OCHA]
- “Between 2 and 8 December, Israeli forces killed five Palestinians, including one child, bringing the total number of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces or settlers in 2025 in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, to 232, including 52 children.
- “Another Palestinian with an Israeli citizenship was shot and killed by Israeli forces in Qalqiliya governorate.
- “Between 2 and 8 December, OCHA documented the demolition of 15 Palestinian-owned structures for lacking Israeli-issued building permits, which are almost impossible for Palestinians to obtain.”
- 12/7 – Israeli soldiers shoot 3 Palestinians who were throwing rocks at cars in the West Bank, killing 1. [Reuters]
- 12/7 – Bethlehem lit a Christmas tree for the first time since the genocide in Gaza began. [Al Jazeera]
- 12/8 – Israel raided the UN Palestine refugee agency’s East Jerusalem offices on Monday and raised the Israeli flag. [Reuters]
- 12/10 – A Palestinian man died while in Israeli captivity. [Al Jazeera]
- 12/10 – Israel gives final approval for 764 housing units to be built in the occupied West Bank. [Reuters]
- 12/11 – >110 Palestinian prisoners have died from torture and mistreatment since Israel’s security minister came to power. [Al Jazeera]
- 12/12 – Israel gives legal status to 19 settlements in the occupied West Bank. [Reuters]
- 12/11 – OCHA update on the West Bank: [OCHA]
Storm Byron wreaks havoc in Gaza, amplified by Israel’s blocking of shelter supplies. [Al Jazeera]
International Support
- Countries call for unrestricted aid, as one announces concrete action.
- 12/8 – UN funding plunged to half its requested amount, due to a drop in funding, particularly from the US. [Reuters]
- 12/10 – Iceland to boycott the 2026 Eurovision due to Israel’s participation. [Reuters]
- 12/12 – Ireland to implement curbs on goods trading with Israeli settlements. [Reuters]
- 12/12 – Judges and prosecutors at the ICC have been cut off by banks, credit card companies, etc. as a result of Trump’s sanctions. [Al Jazeera]
- 12/12 – UN overwhelmingly backs resolution demanding that Israel open unrestricted humanitarian access to Gaza. [Al Jazeera]
UN General Assembly overwhelmingly demands that Israel unrestrict the aid flow into Gaza. [Al Jazeera]
A Turning Tide
- Many politicians seek to oppress American Muslims, as Trump invites Netanyahu
- 12/8 – Netanyahu to meet Trump on the 29th to discuss the ceasefire. [Reuters]
- 12/10 – Florida Governor signs executive order designating the Council on American-Islamic Relations a “foreign terrorist organization.” [Reuters]
- 12/10 – The Trump administration has held discussions on hitting UNRWA with terrorism-related sanctions. [Reuters]
- 12/10 – US Congressman Randy Fine suggested “mainstream Muslims” should be destroyed. [Al Jazeera]
- 12/11 – Trump plans on appointing an American two-star general to command the stabilization force in Gaza. [Reuters]
- Examples of positive political action
- 12/7 – Muslim scholar Omar Suleiman: abandoning the Palestinian struggle would repeat the failures that enabled the genocide. [Al Jazeera]
- 12/8 – Federal judge clears way for Tufts PhD student Ozturk to work on campus after ordering Trump’s admin to restore her status. [Reuters]
- 12/11 – Four US lawmakers say there has been no accountability for the October 2023 attack by Israel against journalists in Lebanon. [Reuters]
- 12/12 – Under Biden’s administration, US intelligence temporarily suspended sharing key info with Israel over concerns about its conduct, demonstrating that we ARE able to avoid supporting genocide. [Reuters]
Congressman Randy Fine says that Muslims should “be destroyed”. We need politicians to fight this rhetoric. [Al Jazeera]