Like dozens of Christian families in Gaza, Samar and her elderly mother Nahida had sought refuge from the brutal Israeli bombardments in the area's only Catholic church.
Yesterday, Samar and Nahida Khalil Anton had walked together across the courtyard of the Holy Family Catholic Church to use the only bathroom, thinking they would not be a target for Israeli forces.
But within seconds of reaching the courtyard, the sickening sound of screaming and the crackle of gunfire filled the air.
An Israeli sniper shot dead one of the women, and when the second screamed and tried in vain to drag her lover's body to safety, she too was killed, it is claimed.
Their bloodied bodies are still strewn across the floor of the church courtyard after they were reportedly attacked by the IDF sniper, in what has been described by Pope Francis as an act of “terrorism”.
No warning was given to Samar and Nahida, who were merely walking to the convent of the Sisters of Mother Teresa in the compound before being shot in “cold blood,” the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem said.
How did Israel kill an elderly woman and her daughter on the grounds of Gaza's only Catholic church?
Yesterday, Samar (right) and Nahida Khalil Anton (left) had walked together across the courtyard of the Catholic Church of the Holy Family to use the only bathroom, thinking they would not be a target for Israeli forces.
'One was killed trying to get the other to safety. No warning was given, no report was made. They were shot in cold blood in the parish buildings, where there are no warring parties,” the report said.
Another seven people were shot and wounded by Israeli forces as they tried to protect others in the compound from the deadly attack.
Nahida's heartbroken son Issa shared a photo of his mother and sister and said his “heart was broken” after their deaths.
My beloved mother, may Allah have mercy on you, my crown and the light of my eyes,” Issa said. “Mom, after you our hearts are broken. My dear sister Samar, the light of my eyes, may Allah have mercy on your soul.'
The IDF said the incident was still under investigation, but stressed that this was the case do not target citizens, regardless of their religion'.
But the approximately 300 people still trapped in the church have described how Israeli tanks and snipers surrounded the walled compound and shot at anyone who emerged from the buildings there.
They say Israeli tanks fired at the church but missed it by just inches and instead disabled the building's generator and fuel supply, making it uninhabitable for the women, children and disabled people who fled there .
The Church of the Holy Family has been a refuge for hundreds of Christians since war broke out on October 7 after Hamas' deadly attack on Israelis. There are also 54 disabled people who seek shelter there.
“The 54 disabled people are currently displaced and do not have access to the breathing equipment that some of them need to survive,” the patriarchate said.
Hammam Farah, who was related to Samar and Nahida, said the two women had walked to the sister monastery to use the only bathroom when they were killed.
Like dozens of Christian families in Gaza, Samar (left) and her mother Nahida (right) had taken refuge from the brutal Israeli bombardments in the area's only Catholic church.
The Church of the Holy Family (pictured in 2021) has been a refuge for hundreds of Christians since war broke out on October 7 following Hamas's deadly attack on Israelis
Palestinians visit the Roman Catholic Church of the Holy Family in Gaza City on Christmas Day, December 25, 2017
“One was killed trying to get the other to safety,” Farah said. “Their bodies are still scattered in the church courtyard.”
Farah said his mother is still trapped in the church and described terrifying scenes, with dozens of Israeli tanks and snipers surrounding the compound.
He shared a message his sister sent him after speaking to their mother, which read: “They can't leave the church. Last night was horrible.
“Tanks are around the church and there is a lot of shooting, their cars in the church parking lot are damaged. There is no food. For the past month they only ate boiled spaghetti.
“At the end of the conversation I told her I love you so much. She stopped talking and we cried together and then I said goodbye.”
Layla Moran, a Liberal Democrat MP for Oxford West and Abingdon, said her relatives were also among hundreds trapped in the church and feared for their safety after Samar and Nahida were shot and tanks rolled in.
“I am desperately worried for my extended family in Gaza City,” Moran said. “There are snipers at every window pointing at the church. I still photograph everyone who comes out of buildings to use toilets, for example.'
Moran fears they will not survive before Christmas as they are just 'days away from death' after the last generator pumping water to the church stopped working.
She said Israeli snipers targeting the church “mock the IDF's claims that they are not targeting civilians.”
Ms Moran told ITV on Sunday that anyone moving between rooms was 'being shot at'.
“It's a week before Christmas Eve, these are Christians in a church who have gone there to seek refuge,” she said.
“This makes a mockery of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) claim that they do not target civilians.
'They have known for two months that they are civilians. If they thought Hamas was there, they would have come sooner. No leaflets were dropped, there was no prior warning – nothing. We are terrified for them, we don't know if they will last until Christmas.'
Christian families have provided shelter in the complex since the outbreak of war. Dozens of members of Ms. Moran's extended family — a grandmother, her son, his wife and their 11-year-old twins — were among those seeking refuge as fighting raged outside.
Moran said her family has been living on mattresses in the Catholic church along with dozens of others for more than 60 days.
A sixth member of her extended family in Gaza City – a grandfather – reportedly died last month after being unable to reach the hospital for medical treatment.
“I'm now not sure if they will survive until Christmas,” Ms Moran, who has been in contact with her family in recent weeks, told the BBC.
Meanwhile, Pope Francis on Sunday accused Israel of “terrorism” as he deplored the killings of Samar and Nahida inside the Catholic church complex.
“I continue to receive very serious and painful news from Gaza,” Francis said. 'Unarmed civilians are the target of bombings and shootings. And this happened even within the parish complex of the Holy Family, where there are no terrorists, but families, children, people who are sick or disabled, nuns.”
Francis said they were killed by “snipers” and also referred to the patriarchate's statement that a convent of nuns from the order founded by Mother Teresa was damaged by Israeli tank fire.
'Some would say, 'It's war. It's terrorism.' Yes, it's war. It is terrorism,” he said.
According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, it is a war crime to “deliberately direct attacks against protected objects, namely buildings dedicated to religion.”
Civilian buildings – such as hospitals – can lose their protected status if there are indications that they are used for military purposes.
The IDF separately acknowledged the deaths of three Israeli hostages in Gaza on Friday, expressing its “deep regret over the tragic incident” in a statement and saying it had immediately launched an investigation.
Yotam Haim, Samer Fouad Talalka and Alon Lulu Shamriz were shot dead around 10 a.m. Friday morning as they surrendered with makeshift white flags.
According to a senior official from the IDF Southern Command, the incident began after a soldier from the 17th Battalion of the Bislamach Brigade identified three suspicious figures leaving a building.
A preliminary IDF investigation found the men were shirtless, wielding white flags and shouting for help in Hebrew. An IDF soldier, believing it was a trap, opened fire and shouted “terrorists!” to colleagues.
IDF spokesman Admiral Daniel Hagari said: 'This is a tragic incident, the IDF bears responsibility. This is an area where the soldiers encountered many terrorists, including suicide bombers.”