New Delhi– Israeli Ambassador to India Reuven Azar on Tuesday sharply criticized Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi for accusing Israel of committing “genocide” in Palestine, urging her not to accept claims made by Hamas.
Priyanka had strongly condemned the Indian government for remaining silent on what she called Israel’s “genocide” in Palestine, arguing that such inaction amounted to complicity.
Responding on X, Azar wrote, “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, shooting people trying to evacuate or receive assistance, and launching rocket fire.”
Defending Israel’s actions and highlighting Hamas’s role in civilian suffering, the envoy added, “Israel facilitated 2 million tonnes of food into Gaza while Hamas tries to seize it, thereby creating hunger. Gaza’s population has grown 450 percent in the last 50 years — no genocide there. Don’t buy Hamas numbers.”
In her earlier post on X, Priyanka wrote, “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.”
The conflict in Gaza escalated after the October 7 attack, in which more than 3,000 Hamas militants infiltrated Israel, killing approximately 1,200 civilians and taking around 240 hostages, including women and children.
Since then, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has launched a large-scale offensive against Hamas and affiliated groups, which have continued to carry out attacks against Israel. (Source: IANS)
