Layla Moran, Liberal Democrat MP, informed the House of Commons that a close family member recently passed away in Gaza. The lack of access to medical care has been blamed for their passing, which comes at a difficult time for the MP. Speaking before a vote concerning a ceasefire in the Israel-Gaza war, Ms Moran stated that this was the hardest day so far in her career as an MP.
Having previously shared her concern about her extended family sheltering in a church in Gaza, Layla Moran’s mother is Palestinian and the MP became the UK’s first of Palestinian descent in 2017. She told the Commons today that she would be voting for: “A two-state solution, because that is the only way that these horrors will never be seen again,” adding that “it’s more than just party politics right now.”
The Hamas attacks on October 7th, which saw militants infiltrate communities near the Gaza Strip, left a devastating toll. Over 1,200 Israelis were killed and 200 hostages were held during the terrorist attack, prompting Israel to retaliate with a war against Hamas, designated a terrorist organisation by many Western governments, including the UK. In the months since, over 11,000 people have been killed in Gaza – 4,500 of whom were children, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. In the same period, 46 Israeli soldiers lost their lives.
Ms Moran urged that the vote should seek to assist families, in particular, hers and Israeli families, from suffering through this ongoing conflict. She expressed her support for an immediate bilateral ceasefire, thereby reducing further pain that may not simply be based upon political differences alone.
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