1. The envoy accused her of deceit and defended Israel’s actions.
2. Priyanka Gandhi accused Israel of genocide, citing a death toll of over 60,000, including 18,430 children, and blamed the Indian government for “silence” over the crisis.
Israel’s Ambassador to India, Reuven Azar, has hit back at Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra over her remarks condemning the Israeli strike that killed five Al Jazeera journalists in Gaza City.
Responding to Vadra’s description of the incident as a “cold-blooded murder” and a “heinous crime,” Azar accused her of deceit and defended Israel’s actions. In a post on X, he said Israel had killed 25,000 Hamas fighters and accused the group of using civilians as human shields, blocking aid, and firing rockets.
Azar dismissed genocide allegations, claiming Gaza’s population has grown 450% in the past five decades and urging people not to “buy Hamas numbers.” He also highlighted Israel’s facilitation of two million tonnes of food aid to Gaza, accusing Hamas of diverting supplies.
Earlier in the day, Priyanka Gandhi accused Israel of genocide, citing a death toll of over 60,000, including 18,430 children, and blamed the Indian government for “silence” over the crisis. She said the targeting of journalists was an attack on truth and a reminder of the courage of independent media.
