MP presses case for Gaza ceasefire after raising plight of her trapped family
Liberal Democrat Layla Moran said violence was ‘making peace harder, not easier’.
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Your support makes all the difference.Family members of an MP trapped in a Gaza church are among those down to their “last can of corn”, the Commons has heard.
Liberal Democrat Layla Moran raised the plight of her extended family as she urged the UK Government to support an “immediate bilateral ceasefire” as the violence was “making peace harder, not easier”.
Speaking during an urgent question on the situation in Israel and Gaza, the MP for Oxford West and Abingdon said: “I have spoken before in this House about my extended family who are in the Holy Family Parish Church in Zeitoun in Gaza, and the situation has been desperate for weeks but now it is descending.
“There are tanks outside the gates, there are soldiers and snipers pointing into the complex shooting at anyone who ventures out, and the convent was bombed.
“On Saturday, two women were shot. They were simply trying to get to the toilet. There is no electricity, there is no clean water, and the update that I had last night was that they are down to their last can of corn.
“I am told after pressure that food has been delivered, but they have not seen it, and when this began a week ago, the IDF (Israeli Defence Forces) soldiers ordered these civilians to evacuate against their will.”
She urged the Government to support an “immediate bilateral ceasefire” as the violence was “making peace harder, not easier” after Foreign Office minister Andrew Mitchell had said: “We, of course, want to see an end to the fighting, but this must be a sustainable ceasefire, meaning Hamas must stop launching rockets into Israel and release the hostages.”
Mr Mitchell added: “The whole House will be gravely concerned about the desperate situation in Gaza.
“It cannot continue and we are deploying all our diplomatic resources including in the United Nations to help find a viable solution.”
He added: “The scale of civilian deaths and displacement in Gaza is shocking.
“I was particularly disturbed at the situation of civilians trapped in the Holy Family Church complex in Gaza City, the lack of water and food and reports of sniper fire causing civilian deaths inside the complex.
“Although Israel has the right to defend itself against terror, restore its security and bring the hostages home, it must abide by international law and take all possible measures to protect civilians.”
Mr Mitchell also confirmed that Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron would visit the region, telling MPs: “The Foreign Secretary will discuss the situation in Gaza with regional leaders this week in his visit to Egypt and Jordan.”