Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Tuesday accused Israel of committing “genocide” in Gaza and criticised the Indian government for remaining “silent” while Palestinians face devastation.
Priyanka claimed the “Israeli state murdered over 60,000 people, 18,430 of whom were children” and accused it of starving civilians.
“The Israeli state is committing genocide. It has murdered over 60,000 people, 18,430 of whom were children.
It has starved hundreds to death including many children and is threatening to starve millions. Enabling these crimes by silence and inaction is a crime in itself.
It is shameful that the Indian Government stands silent as Israel unleashes this devastation on the people of Palestine,” she wrote on X.
Israeli Ambassador to India Reuven Azar rejected the accusations.
“What is shameful is your deceit. Israel killed 25,000 Hamas terrorists. The terrible cost in human lives derives from Hamas’s heinous tactics of hiding behind civilians, their shooting of people trying to evacuate or receive assistance and their rocket fire. Israel facilitated 2 million tonnes of food into Gaza while Hamas tries to sequestrate them, thereby creating hunger. Gaza population has grown 450% in the last 50 years, no genocide there. Don’t buy Hamas numbers,” he wrote on X.
Priyanka also condemned the killing of five Al Jazeera journalists in Gaza, calling it “cold blooded murder” and “another heinous crime committed on Palestinian soil.”
“The immeasurable courage of those who dare to stand for the truth will never be broken by the violence and hatred of the Israeli state,” she wrote. “In a world where much of the media is enslaved to power and commerce, these brave souls reminded us of what true journalism is. May they rest in peace.”
Priyanka has repeatedly spoken out against Israel’s actions in Gaza and expressed solidarity with the Palestinian people.
Last year, during the winter session of Parliament, Priyanka carried a handbag emblazoned with the word “Palestine” and adorned with Palestinian emblems, including a watermelon — a symbol of solidarity with Palestine.
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra during ongoing Winter session of Parliament, in New Delhi, December 16, 2024. (PTI picture)
Journalist Anas al-Sharif and four colleagues were killed in Gaza City in what Al Jazeera called a targeted Israeli strike on a tent housing journalists.
The UN human rights office called the air strike a serious violation of international humanitarian law. The Committee to Protect Journalists reports that 184 Palestinian journalists and media workers have been killed in the Gaza conflict since October 2023, compared to 18 in the Russia-Ukraine war.
