The tragic death of Layla Moran’s relative in Gaza serves as a stark reminder to UK politicians of Israel’s alleged war crimes. Despite a fragile ceasefire in place, Israel’s reported violations have shaken its stability. It’s crucial for global leaders to scrutinise if this ceasefire is adequate and to explore how they can impartially bring an end to the ongoing horror in Palestine.
Layla Moran’s relative’s death in Gaza
Layla Moran, identified as the foreign affairs spokesperson by The Guardian, made history in 2017 as the first MP of Palestinian descent in the UK. Her immediate family, Palestinian Christians, resides in the West Bank, while she also maintains connections with extended family in Gaza.
As reported by the BBC, Layla Moran holds the position of a Liberal Democrat MP and serves as their foreign affairs spokesperson. Representing Oxford West and Abingdon, she has shared in Parliament the heartbreaking loss of a family member due to lack of access to medical care. This profoundly emotional experience marked, in her words, the most challenging day of her parliamentary career. Her mother’s Palestinian heritage ties her closely to the region’s struggles.
Israel’s war crime of destroying medical services in Gaza
As reported by The Guardian, Moran expressed her and her sister’s daily efforts to obtain updates on their relatives. Tragically, their family members in Gaza faced dire circumstances, resorting to drinking contaminated water due to a depletion of food supplies. As per the BBC, Moran detailed her relatives’ situation, highlighting that their passing wasn’t a result of a bomb explosion but likely due to starvation and dehydration. She emphasised that their health had deteriorated significantly in the final week, unable to access essential medical care despite their urgent need for hospital treatment.
Layla Moran’s relative’s death in Gaza is the result of Israel’s war crime of destroying medical services in Gaza. Israel’s war crimes have led to the death of about 17000 people, including women and children. According to Aljazeera, a Gaza health official says 100 patients have been displaced from the Indonesian Hospital. The hospital was surrounded by Israeli tanks and was hit in an Israeli attack that killed 12. Michael Ryan is a World Health Organization (WHO) official. He warns of a “recipe for epidemics” in Gaza as displacement figures increase, temperatures drop, and food remains scarce.
As ECFR says, the WHO has recorded over 137 attacks on healthcare facilities in Gaza since 7 October.
Condemning Israel’s war crime of destroying medical services
Layla Moran’s relative’s death in Gaza caused her to condemn the attacks by Hamas on 7 October. However, she did not dare to condemn Israel’s war crimes. According to BBC, Moran says we are now over a month on from the atrocious attacks by Hamas on 7 October. She tells the House of Commons, “We were all right to condemn the attacks utterly,”
Layla Moran’s relative’s death in Gaza is the result of the brutal Israeli war crimes. Therefore, Layla Moran must courageously condemn Israeli war crimes, although this might have terrible political consequences for her.
Amnesty International calls upon the International Criminal Court to probe two Israeli assaults in Gaza, as reported by Al Jazeera. Politicians must denounce all Israeli war crimes in the region, as highlighted by NRC, where civilians are tragically losing their lives. The pervasive destruction of homes, schools, hospitals, and mosques due to Israeli bombings exacerbates the plight of Gazan civilians, who are grappling with acute shortages of fuel, food, and water. This scarcity escalates the risk of diseases, leaving civilians in a state of fear and panic, feeling nowhere is safe within Gaza. The ongoing siege imposed by Israel further intensifies the challenges faced by the people in Gaza.
There needs to be more than the ceasefire
According to BBC, Ms Moran spoke ahead of a vote on a motion calling for a ceasefire in the Israel-Gaza war. She said, “But ahead of the votes that we are going to take in a moment, I wanted to let the House know that today I lost my first family member. Ms Moran told the Commons she was backing calls for a ceasefire. Today, I wanted to vote for peace. I wanted to be voting for a two-state solution because that is the only way that these horrors will never be seen again,” she said.
Ms Moran supported the ceasefire but did not express support for the freedom of Palestine. Unlike Ms Moran’s words, the ceasefire and a two-state solution will never end the horror. Israel came into existence seventy-five years ago. Israel’s settlers occupied the lands of Palestinians. Freedom of Palestine is the right way to end the mess. World leaders must take action to realise the freedom of Palestine and end Israeli genocide.
Ceasefire is more than just party politics
UK political parties should prioritise humanity over their pursuit of power. The quest for Palestinian freedom transcends mere political agendas. As reported by the BBC, Ms Moran emphasises that the current situation demands more than just partisan politics. While acknowledging Israel’s right to self-defence within international law, as highlighted by the ECFR, European leaders have refrained from openly addressing potential violations by Israel. It’s imperative for these leaders to openly question whether the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories constitutes a breach of international law and whether the actions in Palestine amount to genocide. Fair judgment is essential, considering that history will be the ultimate judge of their decisions.
