“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:
- While only a trickle of aid enters Gaza, Israeli bombardment kills hundreds; starvation and hospital collapse loom as U.N. calls it “the cruelest phase” yet.
- Countries and cultural figures ramp up pressure on Israel with sanctions, boycotts, and threats of “concrete actions” over Israel’s treatment of Gaza.
- …All while the U.S. remains supportive of Israel, cracking down on dissent, including student protests, even as mass protests erupt within Israel itself.
Takeaways:
- Less than bare minimum aid enters Gaza, after months of backlash, with the U.S.-backed delivery system being non-neutral and inadequate.
- International criticism of Israel is shifting into tangible pressure, reflecting a growing global consensus against Israel’s actions and policies.
- America continues to shield Israel diplomatically and repress dissent at home — even as Israelis themselves protest Netanyahu’s war.
As your constituents we expect you to:
- Recognize global conscience.
- Ensure impartiality in humanitarian causes.
- Act with courage to concretely combat injustice.
Trickle of Aid, Torrent of Fire
- “…the cruellest phase of this cruel conflict”, as bombardment continues while aid trickles in
- 5/18–5/24 – Israel launched a new ground offensive on 5/18, killing 144 that day and targeting the Indonesian Hospital [Al Jazeera]. Continued strikes killed >55 on 5/20 (including >12 at Musa bin Nusair School), >52 on 5/21, >51 on 5/22, >16 on 5/23 (Al-Awda hospital hit), and nearly an entire family of a Khan Younis doctor on 5/24 [Reuters] [Al Jazeera].
- 5/21–5/23 – Israel said 98 aid trucks entered on 5/20–21, but most have not reached distributors [Reuters].
- 5/20–5/22 – Starvation deepens: 14,000 babies at risk of dying within 2 days (5/20), 29 children and elderly confirmed dead from hunger (5/22), with thousands more at risk [Al Jazeera] [Reuters].
- 5/24 – UN Secretary-General called this “the cruellest phase of this cruel conflict” [Al Jazeera].
- Gaza aid bottlenecked, West Bank burns, and annexation plans advance
- 5/20 – UN approved 100 trucks for Gaza, far below the 600 needed daily. [Al Jazeera]
- 5/19 – Israel warned Khan Younis residents to evacuate ahead of an “unprecedented attack”; few UN aid trucks were allowed in — the first such delivery in three months. [Reuters] [Al Jazeera]
- 5/22 – Palestinian Red Crescent warned operations could halt within days; its ambulance fleet runs at ⅓ capacity. One paramedic who survived the 5/15 aid worker attack said he was spared only after pleading in Hebrew. [Reuters] [Reuters]
- 5/23 – Many trucks remain stuck at the border, with fears of looting by desperate crowds. Meanwhile, Israeli settlers torched Palestinian homes and cars in the occupied West Bank, using Molotov cocktails. [Reuters] [Reuters]
- 5/24 – Israel plans to annex a historic Palestinian town under the pretext of archaeology. [Al Jazeera]
- The cracks on Israel’s “democracy” continue to widen
- 5/20 – Israeli opposition leader Yair Golan: accused the government of killing “babies as a hobby”. [Haaretz]
- 5/21 – Israel’s democracy’s inadequacy shows as the Supreme Court finds no factual basis behind Shin Bet ex-director’s dismissal. [Al Jazeera]
- 5/24 – Families of Israeli captives intensified criticism of Netanyahu amid mass protests across Israel. [Al Jazeera]
One of the few allowed aid trucks on the Israeli side of the Israel-Gaza border, preparing to enter Gaza. [Reuters]
Concrete Warnings from Abroad
- Cultural boycotts, diplomatic outrage, and sanctions challenge Israel’s Gaza policies
- 5/18 – 100,000 protesters marched in The Hague against the Dutch government’s Gaza stance. [AP]
- 5/20 – Spain’s Prime Minister said Israel should be excluded from global cultural events like Eurovision, citing Russia’s prior ban. [BBC]
- 5/20 – Britain paused free trade talks, imposed new sanctions on West Bank settlers, and condemned Israel’s “monstrous” military escalation. [CNBC]
- 5/22 – Austrian winner of Eurovision Singer Contest called for Israel to be excluded from the 2026 edition in Vienna. [Haaretz]
- 5/21 – Israeli soldiers fired near a diplomatic delegation on the occupied West Bank; the following voiced concerns: Canada, China, UK, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, France, Finland, Denmark, Belgium, Norway, Portugal, Germany, Slovenia, Jordan, Qatar, Turkey, Egypt, Uruguay, Mexico. [Al Jazeera]
- Global powers condemn Israel’s minuscule aid allowance
- 5/20 – Britain, Canada, and France warned Israel of “concrete actions” if the Gaza offensive and aid blockade continue. [Reuters]
- 5/20 – UK and France both deemed Israel’s humanitarian aid insufficient; only 5 trucks had entered Gaza by then. [Reuters] [Al Jazeera]
- 5/21 – Pope Leo XIV: appealed for Israel to allow aid to enter Gaza, calling the situation there “yet more worrying and saddening”. [Reuters]
- 5/21 – Britain pledged $5.4M in Gaza aid, calling Israel’s obstruction “abhorrent.” [Reuters]
- 5/23 – Germany: aid trucks allowed into Gaza are “too little, too late”. [Reuters]
- 5/23 – U.N.: U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation isn’t neutral, and forces further displacement and harm. [Reuters]
- 5/23 – UNRWA: 599,000 people displaced since March 18th, with 9 of 27 UNRWA health centers operational. [UNRWA]
- 5/23 – U.N. chief: Israel has allowed what “amounts to a teaspoon of aid when a flood of assistance is required.” [DW]
Before hearing “warning shots”, diplomats from the EU walk near Jenin camp in the occupied West Bank. [Al Jazeera]
America Remains Complicit
- U.S. crackdowns as students fight back
- 5/20 – Marco Rubio said the number of visas he has revoked was probably in the thousands, adding that he believed there was more to do. [Time]
- 5/21 – Police arrested protestors outside the commencement ceremony as Columbia University alumni burned their diplomas. [Al Jazeera]
Marco Rubio says he probably revoked thousands of visas. [Time]