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Aug 13, 2025: Reuven Azar, the Israeli Ambassador to India, strongly reacted on Tuesday to Wayanad MP and senior Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi's remarks about Israel's "genocide" in Palestine. Azar urged Gandhi to "don't buy Hamas numbers." Priyanka had earlier hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led BJP government for staying silent as Israel “unleashed…devastation on the people of Palestine”.

Azar wrote on X in response to Priyanka's post, "What is shameful is your deceit." 25,000 Hamas terrorists were killed by Israel. Hamas' heinous tactics of using civilians as shields, shooting at those attempting to evacuate or receive aid, and launching rocket fire are to blame for the high death toll. He went on to say, "Israel helped get 2 million tonnes of food into Gaza while Hamas tries to keep them there, making people hungry." In the past 50 years, Gaza's population has increased by 445%; there has not been a genocide there. Don't buy numbers from Hamas.

The Congress has been cautious about the Palestine issue, primarily because the BJP is using it against the country's oldest party. Priyanka, on the other hand, has repeatedly expressed her support for Palestine while describing Israel's attacks on it as "genocidal." Priyanka stated that Israel is committing genocide and has killed over 60,000 people, 18,430 of whom were children, in a post on X. It has killed hundreds of people, many of whom were children, and it is threatening to kill millions more.
She stated, "Enabling these crimes through silence and inaction is a crime in and of itself." Priyanka said, "shameful that the Indian Government stands silent as Israel unleashes this devastation on the people of Palestine" in a sharp attack on the government led by Modi.

Priyanka has previously expressed her support for Palestine. She was seen in December of last year carrying a bag to Parliament with the words "Palestine" written on it. Additionally, the bag contained Palestinian symbols, including a watermelon, which is regarded as a sign of Palestinian unity. The BJP had responded strongly to her gesture. She slammed Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in June of last year for what she called the Israeli government's "genocidal actions" in Gaza, calling him and his government "barbarism." She also criticized the PM Modi government for abstaining from voting on a resolution about the conflict between Israel and Hamas at the UN General Assembly in October of that year.