MP's 'exhausted and traumatised' family flees Gaza

Liberal Democrat Layla Moran said members of her family have escaped Gaza but have been left "exhausted and traumatised".

The Oxford West and Abingdon MP, whose mother is Palestinian, said their exit to Bahrain was "bittersweet", nearly six months since the start of the Israel-Gaza war.

Writing on Twitter, she called for an immediate ceasefire.

In November, Ms Moran told the House of Commons that a family member had died in Gaza because they were unable to access medical care.

She wrote on Thursday: "It is bittersweet. Sweet because they are safe. Finally. Bitter because they shouldn't have had to leave and that so many who do want to leave can't or die trying.

"We need a ceasefire to protect all NOW."

Ms Moran became the UK's first MP of Palestinian descent when she was elected in 2017 and is the Lib Dems' foreign affairs spokesperson.

She said: "We know we are lucky. They're in Manama to be with their immediate family and are grateful to Bahrain for giving them sanctuary.

"They're exhausted and traumatised. I look forward to Zooming with them in the next few days."

The government has faced increasing calls to stop arms sales to Israel after seven aid workers were killed in a strike by the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) on Monday.

Three Britons, John Chapman, 57, Jim Henderson, 33, and James Kirby, 47, were amongst the dead.

They all worked for international food charity World Central Kitchen.

On Friday, the IDF said the "grave mistake" stemmed from multiple failures but that its officers had been "convinced that they were targeting armed Hamas operatives".

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