LONDON: British politician Layla Moran in a series of tweets raised alarm about Israeli attacks on a church in Gaza City, where members of her family have been trapped along with hundreds of others for several days and where two Christian women were shot dead by an Israeli sniper on Saturday.

Separately, Pope Francis on Sunday deplored the killing of the two women, and once again suggested Israel was using “terrorism” tactics in Gaza.

There are reports that nearly 300 people, including children and the sick, are seeking shelter in the Holy Family Catholic Parish. The two Christian women, identified as Nahida and Samar, were shot dead by an Israeli sniper while inside the grounds of the church, with reports of seven others wounded.

“I am desperately worried for my extended family in Gaza City. They have no electricity, no water, no food, and now a sniper is inside the Church compound where they are sheltering. My family are not collateral damage. We need an immediate bilateral ceasefire now,” she tweeted.

Pope deplores killings of two women by Israeli sniper, says Tel Aviv using ‘terrorism’ tactics

Ms Moran in a BBC interview said the situation near the church escalated last Tuesday and said that bombs and white phosphorus had been used to target the compound.

The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem 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”.

Oxford West and Abingdon MP Ms Moran said her relatives are among the Christians who have sought shelter in the church complex.

The patriarchate highlighted that no warning was given before the shooting started, saying “they were shot in cold blood inside the premises of the parish, where there are no belligerents”.

Ms Moran’s tweets outlining the tweets went viral. “There is no water left. There are 300 people there. We don’t know why this is happening. Are they going to be expelled from a church just days before Christmas??!”

In a statement on Sunday, Pope Francis condemned an attack on the compound of the Catholic parish, “where there are no terrorists, but families, children, people who are sick and have disabilities, and nuns.”

“A mother, Mrs Nahida Khalil Anton, and her daughter, Samar Kamal Anton, were killed, and others were wounded by the shooters while they were going to the bathroom,” the pope said.

Though many on X expressed their solidarity with Ms Moran, including historian William Dalrymple, some pointed out that there was a “notable lack of public solidarity with Layla Moran from her parliamentary colleagues”.

Al Jazeera reported that the church has been a target of direct Israeli bombardment over the past few days.

“Major parts of it have been destroyed. Snipers are shooting at every moving object in the yard,” reported Hani Mahmoud, the news channel’s correspondent in Gaza.

Published in Dawn, December 18th, 2023