Israeli Envoy Slams Priyanka Gandhi’s ‘Genocide’ Claim; Congress Reacts Strongly
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s recent comments alleging genocide by Israel in Gaza have sparked a heated exchange between Indian political leaders and the Israeli Embassy, while India’s Ministry of External Affairs has stayed silent on the dispute.
On Tuesday, August 12, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, a Member of Parliament from the Congress party, posted on X (formerly Twitter) criticizing Israel for what she described as “committing genocide” in Gaza. Citing figures from Gaza health authorities, she stated that over 60,000 Palestinians—including more than 18,400 children—have been killed during Israel’s military operations, and accused the Israeli government of starving citizens and threatening the lives of millions by withholding aid. She also called out the Indian government for remaining silent, terming this “enabling these crimes by silence and inaction” and labeling it “shameful.”
Shortly after her remarks, Israel’s ambassador to India, Reuven Azar, countered Priyanka Gandhi’s claims on X, calling her statements “shameful deceit.” Azar argued that the devastating loss of life in Gaza was a result of Hamas’s tactics, such as using civilians as shields and blocking access to food and aid. He also asserted that food aid—amounting to nearly two million tonnes—had been allowed into Gaza by Israel, but was being misappropriated by Hamas. The ambassador dismissed the claim of genocide by pointing out Gaza’s population growth of 450% in the last 50 years and told followers “don’t buy Hamas numbers.”
These comments provoked immediate criticism from Congress. Party communications chief Jairam Ramesh condemned the ambassador’s response, calling it “totally unacceptable,” and also characterized Israel’s military campaign as genocide in his own X post. Congress’s media chairperson, Pawan Khera, labeled the ambassador’s remarks “unprecedented and intolerable,” arguing it was inappropriate for a foreign envoy to target an elected Indian representative and calling it an affront to India’s democracy. He asked whether India’s foreign minister, S. Jaishankar, would respond to what he termed “attempts to intimidate” Priyanka Gandhi, adding that the killing of civilians, including those waiting for humanitarian aid, is occurring “in real time” in Gaza.
Since Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, 2023—which killed approximately 1,200 Israelis and resulted in around 250 hostages—Israel has launched repeated military strikes on Gaza, reportedly resulting in over 61,000 Palestinian deaths, according to Gaza’s health ministry as of August 9, 2025.
Several international organizations and legal bodies have also weighed in on the conflict:
- The United Nations has published findings suggesting that Israel’s warfare tactics in Gaza may be consistent with acts of genocide.
- The International Criminal Court (ICC) in November 2024 issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and then defense minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes, as well as for Hamas leader Mohammed Deif.
- The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has stated in a recent advisory opinion that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories is illegal.
Between May 27 and the end of last month, at least 1,373 Palestinians were reportedly killed while seeking food, mostly by Israeli forces, according to the UN’s human rights office.
India, meanwhile, has avoided direct comment on the recent diplomatic spat. However, in late July, India called for a ceasefire and highlighted the severe humanitarian crisis in Gaza, referencing acute shortages of food and fuel, poor medical services, and limited access to education—though it did not name Israel directly. Earlier votes at the United Nations have seen India abstain from a resolution calling for a ceasefire but support a similar resolution in December 2023.
Source: Adapted and rewritten for fikrokhabar from various news and international agency reports, including The Wire and official statements from X (formerly Twitter).
