Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) Chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Saturday, 27 June launched a pointed critique of the Modi government's position on the Gaza conflict, arguing that its continued silence is both morally indefensible and strategically self-defeating for India. Writing in an opinion article in The Indian Express, Gandhi contended that New Delhi's posture has eroded India's long-held foreign policy identity and weakened its credibility on the world stage.

The Core Charge: Silence as Strategic Failure

Gandhi alleged that India's 'stony silence' and 'inaction' on Gaza have distanced the country from its historical partners — Palestine, Iran, and the broader West Asia region. She further claimed that this vacuum has allowed Pakistan to position itself as a regional mediator, a role she argued India would naturally hold given its historically friendly ties with all parties in the region.

'The Modi government's continued silence simply cannot be explained rationally or morally,' she wrote, adding that India had effectively become 'a lone voice of silence' amid growing international condemnation of Israeli military actions in Gaza.

UN Commission Findings and Civilian Toll

Gandhi cited findings from the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, which, she noted, concluded in September 2025 that Israeli authorities were committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. She further stated that in June 2026, the same commission — now headed by Justice (retired) S. Muralidhar, described by Gandhi as 'a distinguished Indian jurist' — reiterated that Israeli actions were intended to destroy the very existence of Palestinians in Gaza by targeting children.

Quoting from the commission's 94-page report, Gandhi wrote: 'The 94-page report is a harrowing read, with grim details on the extent of the devastation perpetrated by Israel in Gaza and the genocidal intent underpinning its actions. At least 20,000 children have been killed, and another 44,000 have been wounded, many for life.' She also claimed that the destruction of healthcare facilities, including paediatric hospitals, had led to a 300 per cent increase in miscarriages and childbirth-related complications.

October 7 Attack and Israel's Response

Gandhi characterised the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel as a 'dastardly, horrific, and absolutely unacceptable attack,' while arguing that Israel's military response over the subsequent two-and-a-half years had been marked by 'wanton cruelty and barbarity.' She quoted senior Israeli leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as having called for the 'complete siege' and 'total annihilation' of Gaza and described Palestinians in dehumanising terms.

She also alleged that the support extended by US President Donald Trump's administration had enabled Israel to continue its military campaign, and that the United Nations had been unable to act decisively because of American obstruction — even as its agencies documented alleged Israeli war crimes.

India's Shifting Global Alignment

Gandhi pointed to a shifting international consensus, noting that countries historically aligned with the Western bloc — including France, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia — had recognised Palestinian statehood. She added that South Africa had approached the International Court of Justice alleging violations of the 1948 Genocide Convention, that several European nations had imposed arms export restrictions on Israel, and that the International Criminal Court had issued arrest warrants against Israeli political leadership.

Contrasting this with India's stance, Gandhi wrote: 'Today we are exceptional in our continued indifference to the flagrant violation of the global rules-based order, to the suffering of our fellow peoples in the Global South, and to the abasement of human dignity that is on open display in Gaza and the West Bank.'

Modi's Israel Visit and Strategic Concerns

Gandhi described Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Israel — undertaken, she said, shortly before Israel's military action against Iran and the assassination of senior Iranian political leaders — as a 'bewildering strategic decision.' She argued that India was moving deeper into Israel's strategic sphere at a moment when much of the international community was pulling back.

Concluding her article, Gandhi alleged that India's departure from its traditional foreign policy had yielded little beyond the personal 'friendship' between Prime Minister Modi and Prime Minister Netanyahu. The spirit of Indian nationhood, she argued, demanded that the country speak up for Palestinians — both on moral grounds and in the calculus of national interest.