‘This is making a mockery of the IDF’s claims they don’t target civilians’: British MP Layla Moran claims her family are trapped in Gaza church being targeted by ‘Israeli snipers’

British MP Layla Moran says “Israeli snipers” targeting a Gaza church where members of her family are being held “makes a mockery of the IDF's claims that they do not target civilians.”

Relatives of Britain's first MP of Palestinian descent were among 300 who sought refuge at the Holy Family Church in Gaza City yesterday.

The Liberal Democrat MP for Oxford West and Abingdon fears they may not survive before Christmas as they are 'days away from death' after the last generator pumping water to the church stopped working.

An elderly woman and her daughter, named Nahida and Samar, were shot dead 'in cold blood' by one Israeli sniper while on the grounds of the Catholic Church, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem said.

A statement said a gunman killed the pair around noon on Saturday, revealing that “one was killed while trying to get the other to safety.”

Mrs. Moran told it ITV today anyone who moves between rooms is '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.'

They had received no warning and were killed as they walked to a monastery “within the precincts of the parish, where there are no warring parties,” the church said. It added that a further seven people were shot and injured yesterday as they “tried to protect others on the church grounds.”

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.

Ms. Moran said her family has been staying on mattresses at 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,” Mrs Moran, who has been in contact with her family in recent weeks, told the newspaper. BBC yesterday.

The British-Palestinian MP regularly shares updates on the dire situation on social media.

On Sunday, she said she was told that “a tank has taken position outside the church and the building across the street has been taken.” The people inside have died.

“There are snipers at every window pointing at the church. Photographs are still taken of anyone who comes out of buildings to use toilets, for example. Still no food or water.'

She said earlier this week that her relatives told her that two men – a janitor and a garbage collector – had been killed by gunmen as they walked to and from the building.

For fear of being killed themselves, people in the church have reportedly been unable to retrieve the bodies, which have been rotting in the streets for days.

The Liberal Democrat MP for Oxford West and Abingdon has drawn attention to the plight of Palestinians trapped in Gaza amid Israel's relentless bombardment of the enclave.

She has spoken in parliament about the fact that her extended family in Gaza City had their home bombed by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), are staying in a church and are “too old” to flee the 40-kilometer strip.

The latest reported deaths will heighten fears for Christian Palestinians trapped in the church, with outrage from around the world following Saturday's attack.

Italy's top diplomat Antonio Tajani made a “sincere appeal to the Israeli government and army to protect Christian places of worship,” writing on X: “That is not where the Hamas terrorists are hiding.”

Hammam Farah, a family friend of Nahida and Samar, said on X: “This is a targeted campaign of death during the Christmas season against the world's oldest Christian community.”

Gaza's Christians are among the oldest established communities in the Middle East, with origins dating back to the first century.

But their numbers have dwindled since Hamas took full control of the area in 2007, from 3,000 to about 1,000. Al Jazeera reports.

The IDF said: 'The IDF takes claims regarding damage to sensitive sites with the utmost seriousness – especially churches – given that Christian communities are a minority group in the Middle East.

“While reviewing incidents that may have occurred near churches in Gaza, it emerged that an incident occurred yesterday afternoon in another area in Gaza, near the Latin Church in the Shejayia area.

“Initial investigations indicate that IDF forces operating in the area against Hamas terrorists were operating against a threat they identified in the vicinity of the church. The IDF is conducting a thorough investigation into the incident.

'Yesterday, a letter was received from the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem describing a tragic incident that occurred in the Holy Family Parish, located in the Rimal area of ​​the Gaza Strip. Yesterday morning, church representatives contacted the IDF about explosions heard near the church.

“During the dialogue between the IDF and community representatives, no reports emerged of an attack on the church, nor of civilians injured or killed. A review of the IDF's operational findings supports this.

“The IDF only targets terrorists and terror infrastructure and does not target civilians, regardless of their religion.

“The IDF is taking extensive measures to prevent harm to uninvolved civilians as it battles a terrorist organization that does everything it can to endanger civilians – including using civilians and sacred sites as human shields for its terror activities .'