“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:
- Violation count reaches 1,520, 576 Gazans have been killed. Rafah opens after months of bloodshed, with only a handful being allowed to cross.
- ~170 West Bank Palestinians have been displaced since the beginning of 2026.
- The UN appeals for aid for Gaza; Israel and JD Vance are booed at the Winter Olympics.
- Human Rights Watch: Trump has attacked key pillars of American democracy. The US condemns South Africa’s expulsion of an Israeli diplomat.
Takeaways:
- Rafah’s opening isn’t doing anything, as Gazans are trapped under Israeli bombing.
- The West Bank is continually being terrorized by Israeli settlers.
- Israel and American foreign policy itself is despised worldwide.
- America needs to stop supporting Israel diplomatically.
As your constituents we urge you to:
- Call for a complete end to the ceasefire violations, and a stronger flow of aid.
- Push for Israel to fully open the Rafah crossing.
- Divest from Israeli companies operating on violently occupied land, and use those funds at home.
1,520 Violations, 576 Killed
- Rafah border opens after months of killing, only allowing a handful through
- 2/7 – Since the ceasefire, Israel has killed 576 Palestinians, violating the truce 1,520 times. [IAK]
- 2/4 – Israel kills 24 Gazans, 7 children. [Reuters]
- 2/6 – 2 Gazans killed by Israel. [Al Jazeera]
- 2/4 – UNRWA report: [UNRWA]
- 71,667 Gazans killed since Oct. 7th 2023
- 1,050 West Bank Palestinians, 229 children, killed since Oct. 7th, 2023
- 2/1 – Israel to terminate operations of Doctors Without Borders within Gaza. [Al Jazeera]
- 2/2 – After several months, Israel opens Rafah crossing a small amount, only allowing 50 patients per day. [Al Jazeera]
- 2/2 – “Regavim”, a coded annexation message, is carried at the Rafah border crossing. [Al Jazeera]
- 2/3 – Only 5 evacuees allowed to leave Gaza, only 12 allowed to enter, as Israel continues to attack Gazans. [Al Jazeera]
- 2/7 – Total transport infrastructure damage by Israel in Gaza is estimated at $2.5B. [Al Jazeera]
- 2/7 – Since the ceasefire, Israel has killed 576 Palestinians, violating the truce 1,520 times. [IAK]
- Attention is drawn away from Israeli crimes in the West Bank
- 2/5 – OCHA update on the West Bank: [OCHA]
- “Nearly 700 Palestinians in nine communities have been displaced due to settler attacks so far in 2026, including 600 displaced from Ras Ein Al Auja Bedouin community in Jericho governorate.
- “Repeated Israeli settler attacks on the Ein Samiya wells east of Ramallah damaged critical infrastructure and blocked repairs, cutting the main water supply intermittently for three days and affecting an estimated 100,000 Palestinians across eastern Ramallah governorate.
- “About 170 Palestinians have been displaced since the beginning of 2026 by the demolition of homes for lack of Israeli-issued building permits, following a record year in 2025 when more than 1,700 Palestinians were displaced due to lack-of-permit demolitions in Area C and East Jerusalem.”
- 2/1 – Israeli authorities intensify displacement campaign across the West Bank. [Al Jazeera]
- 2/6 – UN: Israeli settler violence has displaced nearly 700 Palestinians in January, the highest since Oct. 7th 2023. [Al Jazeera]
- 2/5 – OCHA update on the West Bank: [OCHA]
Jeers and Appeals
- The UN calls for aid, as Israel is booed at the Olympics
- 2/3 – UN chief calls on Israel to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza. [Al Jazeera]
- 2/5 – UN human rights chief appeals for $400M for increasing human rights needs around the world. [Reuters]
- 2/5 – UAE plans to build a compound in southern Gaza to house thousands of Gazans. [Reuters]
- 2/6 – Israel and JD Vance are booed at the Winter Olympics. [Reuters]
Diplomatic Tyranny
- Trump continues enacting injustice