Layla Moran: My fears for my family trapped by snipers in Gaza’s Catholic church

Some of my relatives have been trapped there since October, writes the MP Layla Moran – food is running out and they can’t move from one room to another for fear of being shot

‘On 16 December, two women were shot inside the complex. One was killed as she tried to carry the other to safety’ (AFP via Getty)

My mother is Palestinian, and we are proud Jerusalemites. But we also have relatives in Gaza City. I should stress this isn’t just about caring about Christians. We are Palestinians together. Whatever faith. And this is but one story.

They have been sheltering in a Church compound, the Holy Family Parish, since October. One member of the family has already died after he became ill and couldn’t get to a hospital. Another became ill after drinking contaminated water.

The situation has been awful for more than two months now, with the humanitarian crisis growing ever more acute, but in recent days the danger has escalated even more.