Humza Yousaf says parents-in-law are alive in Gaza but facing ‘dire situation’

Humza Yousaf has revealed that his parents-in-law are alive but have only a day’s worth of supplies left while trapped in Gaza.

Scotland’s First Minister said that the situation facing the parents of his wife, Nadia El-Nakla, was “dire” following a “terrible night” with rockets “falling all around them”, their building shaking and children screaming.

Elizabeth and Maged El-Nakla had travelled from their Dundee home to visit their daughter’s “elderly and frail” 93-year-old grandmother but their trip coincided with the Hamas attacks on Israel.

“My mother-in-law tells me they’re alive, which is what we were hoping to hear,” Mr Yousaf said. “Beyond that, I’m afraid the situation is dire.

“They had a terrible night. Rockets were falling all around them, the house was shaking, the children were screaming most of the night.

“They have, according to my mother-in-law, one day of supplies left. They’re terrified to try to go out to any market, given that they’ve all been told to stay indoors.

“Of course, they’re being told to leave, because we all know what’s going to happen to Gaza. But they’ve got nowhere to go. They have no way of getting out.

“So we’re still in a really desperate situation where the family is still trapped.”

Call for ‘humanitarian corridor’

Mr Yousaf has called on James Cleverly, the Foreign Secretary, to use his influence to lobby Israel to call a ceasefire, so that civilians stuck in Gaza can safely leave.

He also called for a “humanitarian corridor” to be opened so that food, fuel, water and medical supplies can be taken in.

Mr Yousaf said that he had spoken to the Foreign Office on Tuesday afternoon, urging Britain to use its influence as an ally of Israel to push for a one- or two-day halt to hostilities.

The First Minister’s brother-in-law, who is a doctor, also lives in Gaza with his four children, including a two-month-old child.

He offered his condolences to the family of Bernard Cowan, 57, a Scot who had moved to Israel and was killed by Hamas terrorists on Saturday.

Mr Cowan – who was originally from Newton Mearns, near Glasgow – was killed in Sufa, a kibbutz that was briefly taken under Hamas control at the weekend.

Mr Yousaf, who is Muslim, compared the situation facing Jews in Britain with how he felt after the 9/11 attacks on America in 2001.

“People were telling me don’t grow a beard, telling my sisters to remove the headscarf,” he said. “It was a horrible, horrible time and my thoughts are very much with our Jewish community.

“Any anti-Semitism in Scotland will have zero tolerance. But I understand the fear that our Jewish communities have.

“We will continue to liaise with Police Scotland, will continue to liaise with our Jewish communities, and stand in absolute solidarity with them to tackle hatred of any kind.

“Anti-Semitism has no place in Scotland and I’ll be unequivocal about that.”