Liberal Democrat MP Layla Moran has pressed the UK government to turn its increasingly critical rhetoric on Israel into meaningful action, warning that the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza has reached “unbearably cruel levels of destitution.”
In a renewed appeal, Moran called on ministers to formally recognise a Palestinian state and take decisive measures to assist British citizens affected by the conflict, including the elderly parents of Mohammad, an NHS doctor who once treated her.
Mohammad, who hails from the Jabaliya refugee camp and has served the UK’s National Health Service for two decades, described the current conditions in Gaza as a “slaughterhouse”.
Speaking from direct contact with relatives in northern Gaza, Mohammad said the population is “on the brink of starvation,” squeezed into a perilously small area with no food, shelter, or medical care.
He detailed the harrowing experience of his family, whose home was bombed last October, killing his cousin and nephew. Though they have since returned, theirs is one of the few structures still standing.
His brother-in-law recently called him from northern Gaza as Israeli airstrikes killed over 100 people in a single night. “The bombs won’t kill everyone—it’s the starvation that will,” he said, adding that animal feed previously used to survive is no longer available.
The blockade, now nearing its eleventh week, has devastated access to basic necessities, with oil being sold by the millilitre and food supplies either non-existent or priced beyond reach.
Moran, visibly moved by the plight of her former surgeon’s family, criticised the UK for failing to match its shift in tone with actual policy.
While the government has recently adopted a more forceful stance—Middle East Minister Hamish Falconer labelling Israel’s aid blockade “cruel” and “indefensible”, and Foreign Secretary David Lammy discussing Palestinian statehood with France and Saudi Arabia ahead of June’s international conference—Moran argues that the situation demands urgent action.
“I remain deeply frustrated that while the government’s language has changed, little has been done in terms of concrete action,” Moran said.
She urged immediate recognition of a Palestinian state to “safeguard Palestinian interests and send a clear message to Israel that there will be consequences for their actions.”
She also criticised ongoing UK arms exports to Israel and the continued acceptance of trade from illegal Israeli settlements, insisting such practices are inconsistent with international law and human rights.
Moran pointed out that the crisis is affecting British citizens directly. “Mohammad’s story is not isolated. We have UK nationals with family members who are suffering unimaginable hardship in northern Gaza,” she said.
Mohammad, speaking of his parents’ resilience, revealed his father—who recently had his colon removed—is frail, while his diabetic and hypertensive mother is increasingly vulnerable. He expressed concern that they are hiding the full extent of their suffering to avoid worrying him. “Anyone even slightly vulnerable simply doesn’t survive,” he added.
The medical situation on the ground is catastrophic. “There’s no treatment, no medicine—nothing. Anyone wounded dies. People are burned alive by missiles and beg for death because the pain is so unbearable,” he reported.
Moran concluded with a stark message: “Starvation should never be used as a weapon of war. What Mohammad’s family is going through is heart-breaking, but theirs is just one of countless tragedies unfolding in Gaza. This cannot go on—the UK must double down on efforts to end this humanitarian disaster.”
