'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 trapped inside, are 'making a mockery of the IDF's claims they don't target civilians'. 

Relatives of the UK's first MP of Palestinian descent were among the 300 who have sought sanctuary inside the Holy Family Church, in Gaza City, yesterday. 

The Liberal Democrat MP for Oxford West and Abingdon fears they will not survive before Christmas with them being just 'days away from dying' after the last generator pumping water to the church stopped working.  

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

It said in a statement that a gunman had killed the pair at around midday on Saturday, revealing that 'one was killed as she tried to carry the other to safety'. 

Ms Moran told ITV today that anyone moving between rooms are 'being shot at'.

'It's a week to Christmas Eve, these are Christians in a church who went there to seek sanctuary,' she said. 

'This is making a mockery of the assertion by the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) that they do not target civilians.

'They have known for two months that these are civilians. If they thought Hamas were there, they would have come earlier. There were no leaflets dropped, there was no prior warning – nothing. We are terrified for them, we don't know if they are going to last until Christmas.'

They had been given no warning and were killed as they were walking towards a convent 'inside the premises of the Parish, where there are no belligerents,' the church said. It added that seven more people were shot and wounded yesterday as they 'tried to protect others inside the church compound'. 

Christian families have been sheltering in the complex since the war erupted, with members of Ms Moran's extended family - a grandmother, her son, his wife and their 11-year-old twins - among the dozens taking refuge as battles rage outside. 

Ms Moran said her family have been staying on mattresses along with dozens of others in the Catholic church for more than 60 days.

A sixth member of her extended family in Gaza City - a grandfather - reportedly died last month after he was unable to reach hospital for medical treatment.

'I'm now no longer sure they are going to survive until Christmas,' Ms Moran, who has been in contact with her family over the weeks, told the BBC yesterday. 

The British-Palestinian MP has been sharing regular updates about the dire situation on social media.

On Sunday, she said she had been told that 'a tank has taken position outside the church and the building opposite has been taken. The people inside have died. 

'There are snipers at every window pointing into the church. Still shooting anyone emerging from buildings to use eg toilets. Still no food or water.'

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

Terrified of being killed themselves, people inside the church have reportedly been unable to collect the bodies, which have remained decaying in the street for days. 

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

She has spoken in Parliament about her extended family in Gaza City having their house bombed by the Israel Defence Forces (IDF), staying in a church and being 'too old' to flee the 25-mile strip. 

The latest reported deaths will add to fears for Christian Palestinians trapped in the church, and there has been outrage from around the world following Saturday's attack.

Italy's top diplomat Antonio Tajani issued a 'heartfelt 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 death campaign during the Christmas season on the world's oldest Christian community.' 

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

But there numbers have dwindled since Hamas took complete control of the territory in 2007, falling from 3,000 to around 1,000, Al Jazeera reports.

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

'When reviewing incidents that may have taken place in the vicinity of churches in Gaza, it was found that an incident took place during yesterday afternoon in another area in Gaza, near the Latin Church in the Shejayia area. 

'An initial review suggests that IDF troops, who wee operating against Hamas terrorists in the area, operated against a threat that they identified in the area of the church. The IDF is conducting a thorough review of the incident.

'Yesterday, a letter from the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem was received describing a tragic incident that took place in the Holy Family Parish which is located in the Rimal area in the Gaza Strip. Yesterday morning, representatives of the church contacted the IDF regarding explosions that were heard near the church. 

'During the dialogue between the IDF and representatives of the community, no reports of a hit on the church, nor civilians being injured or killed, were raised. A review of the IDF’s operational findings support this.

'The IDF only targets terrorists and terror infrastructure and does not target civilians, no matter their religion. 

'The IDF takes vast measures to avoid harm to uninvolved civilians, while fighting against a terrorist organization which does everything to put civilians at risk - including by using civilians and holy sites as human shields for its terror activities.'