Overview

• Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on August 12 accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza, citing over 60,000 deaths, including 18,430 children, and starvation of hundreds.
• Israeli Ambassador Reuven Azar responded on social media that Gandhi’s figures are deceitful, stating Israel killed 25,000 Hamas operatives and facilitated two million tonnes of food into Gaza.
• Congress leaders condemned Azar’s public rebuke as undiplomatic and a breach of parliamentary privilege, calling his remarks “intolerable”.
• Senior party figures Pawan Khera, Gaurav Gogoi and Jairam Ramesh have urged External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Parliament to address the envoy’s conduct.
• The dispute comes as Gaza’s Health Ministry reports 227 starvation-related deaths and the IDF approves a framework for further operations, while New Delhi maintains a cautious diplomatic stance.