Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has strongly condemned an Israeli airstrike in Gaza that killed five journalists from Al Jazeera, describing it as “cold-blooded murder” and “yet another heinous crime” against the Palestinian people.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Priyanka Gandhi expressed solidarity with the victims, stating that the journalists “risked their lives to bring the truth to the world” and that their killing was a deliberate attempt to silence voices exposing the ground realities in Gaza. She praised their courage and said their work represented “true journalism” in the face of oppression.
The fatal strike took place near Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza, a location that has repeatedly been at the center of Israel’s military operations during the ongoing war with Hamas. Al Jazeera has accused the Israeli military of targeting its reporters, calling the attack a “blatant violation of international humanitarian law” and another chapter in the systematic targeting of journalists in Palestine. Israel, however, has long accused the Qatari news network of serving as a “mouthpiece for Hamas,” an allegation the network has consistently denied.
This latest attack has sparked renewed outrage among press freedom advocates, with many pointing to a troubling pattern of journalists being killed in the Israel-Hamas conflict. According to international media watchdogs, dozens of reporters have died in Gaza since the war began in October 2023, making it one of the deadliest conflicts for media workers in recent history.
Responding to Priyanka Gandhi’s remarks, Israel’s Ambassador to India, Reuven Azar, issued a sharp rebuttal. In a statement on X, Azar accused her of “spreading deceit,” insisting that Israel’s military operations are focused on eliminating Hamas combatants, not civilians or journalists. He claimed that Israel had killed “25,000 Hamas terrorists” and blamed the militant group for embedding its fighters and weapons within civilian areas, thereby putting non-combatants — including journalists — at risk.
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The ambassador also urged observers not to “buy Hamas’ numbers” on casualties, alleging that the group manipulates statistics to fuel anti-Israel sentiment. This exchange adds to the already heated diplomatic discourse between pro-Palestinian voices in India and Israeli officials over the conduct of the war.
The incident has once again brought into focus the perils faced by journalists in conflict zones and the growing global debate over press freedom during wartime. While Priyanka Gandhi’s comments resonate with pro-Palestinian activists and human rights defenders, Israel’s response underscores the deep divide in narratives over accountability for civilian deaths in Gaza.