Humza Yousaf fears his wife’s mum and dad who are trapped in Gaza won’t make it through the night while Israel bombards the heavily populated territory.
In an interview with broadcaster LBC, the first minister described how his in-laws – Elizabeth and Maged El-Nakla – were told to evacuate the Palestinian territory but have no route to safety.
Mr Yousaf’s wife Nadia El-Nakla, an SNP councillor in Dundee, is of Palestinian descent.
Her parents made the trip to Gaza to visit her grandmother.
But they now find themselves stuck in the war-torn region following an unprecedented escalation of the conflict.
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Hamas militants massacred hundreds of Israeli citizens on Saturday, prompting international shock and condemnation. Israel responded with force immediately.
Mr Yousaf strongly condemned the deadly attacks by Hamas and said it was “horrific” to see the scale of destruction.
Gaza will effectively be obliterated, but they’ve got nowhere to go.
– Humza Yousaf.
On his personal situation, he said: “My wife is Palestinian.
“Her mum and dad, my in-laws, who live in Dundee, who live in Scotland, they’ve been in Gaza and are currently trapped in Gaza.
“My father-in-law went to visit his 92-year-old elderly and frail mother. We’ve been on the phone to them over the last 48, 72 hours.”
He added: “They’re trapped. They’re being told by the Israeli authorities to leave Gaza, because Gaza will effectively be obliterated, but they’ve got nowhere to go.
“Despite the best efforts of the British foreign office, nobody can guarantee them safe passage anywhere.
“I’m in a situation where frankly night by night, day by day, we don’t know whether or not my mother-in-law and father-in-law, who have nothing to do, as most Gazans don’t, with Hamas or with any terror attack, whether they’ll make it through the night or not.”
The first minister said he is constantly worried as his family wait for updates while the conditions in Gaza continue to deteriorate.
Israeli defence chiefs have ordered a complete siege of the city, cutting off all food and power supplies.
Mr Yousaf said: “We cannot sleep. We are constantly watching our phones.
“When our messages do get through, we’re waiting for a reply.
“The family now have been told – and all of Gaza’s been told – that Gaza will not get food supplies, fuel supplies, electricity supplies.”
‘It’s sickening’
Mr Yousaf’s wife has previously spoken out about her distress for family living in Gaza who have been caught up in the conflict.
Two years ago, the Dundee councillor said she had been left worried sick for her brother and young relatives as violence in the region worsened.
At the time she said: “For us as a family here it’s sickening.
“You almost don’t want to hear from your family because you don’t want to hear how bad it is for them.”
Ms El-Nakla visited Palestine regularly when she was growing up.
Attack condemned
Mr Yousaf condemned the latest attack by Hamas.
Speaking from his official government home in Edinburgh, told LBC: “Let me put it on the record the government’s condemnation of the terror attack by Hamas.
“It’s horrific to see innocent lives lost, whether those lives are Israeli or innocent lives of Palestinians being lost.”
