Congress condemns Israeli envoy's reply to Priyanka on Gaza post, accuses Modi of ‘moral cowardice’

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said Israel is committing "genocide" and it is "shameful" that the Indian government is standing “silent”

Updated on: Aug 12, 2025, 21:20:55 IST

By HT News Desk

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The Congress on Tuesday condemned Israeli Ambassador to India Reuven Azar's reply to Priyanka Gandhi's post in which she had said Israel is committing "genocide" in Gaza.

Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi in Parliament. (ANI)

“The Indian National Congress condemns the words used by Israel's Ambassador to India in response to the pain and anguish expressed by Smt. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, MP, on Israel's continuing genocide in Gaza,” Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh wrote in a post on X.

Ramesh also targeted the Modi government at the Centre and accused it of showing “extreme moral cowardice” in speaking against “Israel’s destruction of Gaza”.

Also Read | ‘Starved hundreds to death’: Priyanka slams govt for ‘silence’ over Gaza war

“It is too much to expect the Modi Govt, which has shown extreme moral cowardice when it comes to speaking out on Israel’s destruction of Gaza over the past 18-20 months, to take serious exception and objection to the Ambassador's response,” Ramesh wrote. “We do and find it totally unacceptable.”

What Priyanka Gandhi said

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said the Israeli state is committing "genocide" and it is "shameful" that the Indian government is standing "silent".

“The Israeli state is committing genocide. It has murdered over 60,000 people, 18,430 of whom were children,” Priyanka Gandhi Vadra wrote on X. “It has starved hundreds to death including many children and is threatening to starve millions.”

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra added that it is the shameful that the Indian Government stands silent over the issue.

“It is shameful that the Indian Government stands silent as Israel unleashes this devastation on the people of Palestine,” she said.

Hitting back at the Congress leader, Israeli Ambassador to India Reuven Azar said, "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 per cent in the last 50 years, no genocide there. Don't buy Hamas numbers," Azar said on X, tagging the Congress leader.

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HT News Desk
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