Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Tuesday accused Israel of “committing genocide,” alleging it has starved many people to death, including children, and will continue to do so. She criticised India for “remaining silent” amid what she called mass killings, adding that those who stay silent or fail to act are complicit in the crimes.
She also tagged the “cold-blooded” murder of five Al Jazeera journalists as a “heinous crime” which was 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. In a world where much of the media is enslaved to power and commerce, these brave souls reminded us of what true journalism is,” she added.
‘Israel committing genocide’
“The Israeli state is committing genocide. It has murdered over 60,000 people, 18,430 of whom were children,” wrote Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on X (formerly Twitter).
She added, “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.”
Her comments, however, didn’t go down well with the Israeli envoy, who retorted with, “What is shameful is your deceit.” remark.
Reuven Azar added that Israel killed 25,000 Hamas terrorists, adding that “Gaza population has grown 450% in the last 50 years, no genocide there.” He also said that the terrorists in the war-torn country hide behind the civilians – a reason he came up with to defend mass killings.
He urged her not to buy “Hamas numbers” and also highlighted the aid that the country has provided to Gaza.
“Israel facilitated 2 million tonnes of food into Gaza while Hamas tries to sequester them, thereby creating hunger.”
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… https://t.co/e3lSUwfmXH
— 🇮🇱 Reuven Azar (@ReuvenAzar) August 12, 2025
‘You’re defending a genocide’: Social media
“There is only one thing that is clear in your claims – a lack of humanity. Hiding behind statistics and justifying the death of innocents is actually the worst way to justify violence,” said one social media user.
Another said, “Only one Indian has the guts to speak against genocide.”
“What is shameful is that you are defending a genocide. Rot in Hell,” commented a third
A fourth asked, “Do you still have the right to talk about Hitler?”
“Nobody buys your lies anymore. Israel is a terrorist state. You kill babies. You kill the defenceless. You kill them because you want their land. Your name will go down in history next to Hitler, and you will one day, in this life or next, face the consequences of your crimes,” said yet another social media user.