Israeli ambassador Reuven Azar has termed as “deceit” Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra condemning the “genocide” of Palestinians. Here’s a look at the atrocities Israel has perpetrated on Gaza since October 7, 2023, when Hamas militants stormed a music festival in southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and abducting 250
HORROR, IN NUMBERS
Azar's claim: Gaza's population "has grown 450 per cent in the last 50 years, no genocide there. Don’t buy Hamas numbers”
Fact: Gaza's population, at 2.1 million, has fallen 6 per cent since the start of the war, according to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics. "Entire families, neighbourhoods and a generation are being wiped out," said the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA
After 675 days of conflict
61,000 Palestinians are dead
100,000 have fled Gaza
Over 145,000 have been seriously injured
18,000 children have been killed. As many as 28 kids are being killed daily
230 journalists killed
HEALTHCARE
19 of Gaza's 36 hospitals operational
2,000 hospital beds available for a population of 2.1 million, which works out to 1 bed per 1,000 people
14,800 in urgent need of medical evacuation
FOOD
Azar's claim: “Israel facilitated 2 million tonnes of food into Gaza.”
Fact: 86 per cent of cropland damaged. Only 1.5 per cent of undamaged cropland accessible
Fishing has been banned
Gaza needs 62,000 tonnes of dry and canned food each month, which works out to 1kg of food per person per day. Israeli forces have attacked food aid camps, killing hundreds
Food aid entering Gaza in 2025 (in tonnes)
January: 208,267
February: 295,120
March: Nil
April: Nil
May: 19,153
June: 37,103
July: 37,906
In 2024, 12 people drowned trying to recover food that landed in the sea
12,000 children under five years suffer from acute malnutrition
500,000 people are staring at a famine
DRINKING WATER
75% of wells out of service
85% of public work equipment destroyed
100km of water lines damaged
200km of sewage lines rendered unusable
350 trash sites, each more than 1sqkm, contaminating drinking water