Priyanka Gandhi slams Centre's silence on Israel's actions in Palestine; calls inaction a 'crime'

New Delhi, Aug 12 (IANS) Congress Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Tuesday strongly criticised the Central government for remaining silent on Israel's military actions in Palestine, asserting that such inaction amounts to complicity.

Taking to X, she wrote, "The Israeli state is committing genocide. It has murdered over 60,000 people, 18,430 of whom were children. 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. It is shameful that the Indian Government stands silent as Israel unleashes this devastation on the people of Palestine," she said, slamming the Centre.

She also condemned the killing of five Al Jazeera journalists in Gaza, calling it "another heinous crime" in Palestine.

"The cold-blooded murder of five Al Jazeera journalists is yet another heinous crime 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," she said.

"In a world where much of the media is enslaved to power and commerce, these brave souls reminded us of what true journalism is. May they rest in peace," she added.

Israel on Monday confirmed killing the journalists, claiming that one of them, Anas al-Sharif, was the head of a Hamas terror cell and had advanced rocket attacks on Israeli civilians and IDF troops.

The Israeli military said it had Intelligence and documents from Gaza, including rosters, terrorist training lists, and salary records, proving Al-Sharif was a Hamas operative integrated into Al Jazeera.

It added that in October it had published seized materials from Gaza that "unequivocally" confirmed his "military affiliation with Hamas," and maintained that the Press badge "isn't a shield for terrorism."

According to the Israeli statement, Al-Sharif was killed alongside four colleagues -- Ibrahim Zaher, Moamen Aliwa, and Mohammed Noufal. The military claimed that the evidence "once again confirms" his terrorist activities, which Al Jazeera "tried to disavow."

--IANS

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