Attack on civilians in Gaza is genocidal: Congress

New Delhi, Nov 17 (IANS) The Congress on Friday condemned the Israel’s action in Palestine saying that its attack on the civilians are ‘genocidal’ and it is shocking that many influential countries, that choose to speak the language of human rights and justice when convenient, are lending their unstinting support to Israel’s actions which reflects double standards being applied in Ukraine and in Gaza.

“Israel’s actions following Hamas’ condemnable attack on their citizens are genocidal,” Congress General Secretary (communication) Jairam Ramesh said, in a statement.

Ramesh said that the targeting of civilians, women and children, hospitals and shelters violate the values of humanity and every international norm of war.

He said that after blockading fuel, power, medicines, anesthetics and humanitarian aid for weeks on end, hospitals are now being targeted militarily.

“Even premature infants have been deprived of medical care. This is a horrific and unprecedented development even in times of war. Over 10,000 people have been killed of which more than half are children. The WHO has recorded that one child is being killed every ten minutes in Gaza,” he said.

The Congress leader said that all this while statements of ‘genocidal intent’ from the top Israeli leadership are being made.

“Prime Minister (Benjamin) Netanyahu has himself called for turning parts of Gaza ‘to rubble’ and has called the wanton killing of men, women, and children ‘collateral damage’. The kind of dehumanising language used by some Israeli ministers on Palestinians is like the language that preceded the Holocaust,” the Congress Rajya Sabha MP said.

Expressing shock at the stand of the influential countries actions, the Congress leader said: “It is shocking that many influential countries, that choose to speak the language of human rights and justice when convenient, are lending their unstinting support to Israel’s actions. The double standards being applied in Ukraine and in Gaza is apparent.”

“The need of the hour is to de-escalate and to declare a ceasefire immediately. The world cannot watch in silence as a second Nakba unfolds and the ethnic cleansing and dispossession of the Palestinians, as was done in 1948, is carried out once again with impunity,” he said.

He said that the Indian National Congress urges the Indian government to do all it can to pressurise the governments of the US, Israel, and the EU so that they may use their power to stop the violence being committed by Israel in Gaza.

“How many more lives will have to be taken before our collective conscience is stirred and awakened?” Ramesh added.

The remarks from the Congress leader came in the wake of death of over 11,000 people, including over 4,500 children in Palestine in the retaliatory action by Israel after October 7 surprise attack by Hamas.

As of Friday morning, the death toll in Gaza stood at 11,078, of whom 4,506 were said to be children and 3,027 women.

In Israel, more than 1,200 people have died, while the fatality toll in the West Bank has increased to 198.