Owaisi Questions Modi’s Silence on Gaza Civilian Deaths

AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi on Friday criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his recent visit to Israel, questioning whether the ongoing military operations in Gaza that reportedly killed over 73,000 people did not amount to terrorism.

Addressing a gathering at Masjid-e-Chowk in Hyderabad, Owaisi referred to the Prime Minister’s February 25 address to the Israeli Parliament and said Modi should have not only condemned Hamas but also spoken against what he termed “Israeli terrorism”. Citing reported figures, he claimed that of the 73,000 deaths in Gaza, nearly 36,000 were children and around 15,000 were women, while thousands of buildings had been destroyed, leading to a severe humanitarian crisis.

Placing the issue in an international context, Owaisi said the Gaza conflict remains highly controversial due to allegations of disproportionate use of force, civilian casualties and possible violations of international humanitarian law. He noted that while Israel maintains its actions are in self-defence, several countries in the Global South have called for a ceasefire and raised concerns over the scale of destruction. He added that if Modi opposes wars, he should have also spoken against the speculated US attack on Iran.

Alleging that the Prime Minister’s engagement with Israel was ideological, Owaisi claimed similarities between Zionism and the RSS, citing historical reports of contacts between Israeli officials and leaders of the erstwhile Jan Sangh.

The AIMIM chief also condemned alleged atrocities against minorities in various parts of India, including the reported demolition of a dargah in Telangana and incidents in Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, asserting that divisive politics weakens the country’s social fabric.