MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Scotland's First Minister parents in law “trapped” in Gaza during a family visit

First Minister Humza Yousaf said his wife's parents, who live in Dundee, travelled to Gaza to see her father's sick mother.

Scotland's First Minister Humza Yousaf says his parents-in-law are “trapped” in Gaza, as he unequivocally condemned the attacks by Hamas in Israel. Yousaf said his wife's parents, who live in Dundee, travelled to Gaza to see her father's sick mother.

The Israelis have told them to leave, but Mr Yousaf said they had no way to get out and the UK Foreign Office could not guarantee safe passage.

He said he and his wife were “sick with worry” that they would not survive.

Nadia El-Nakla's parents travelled to Gaza about a week ago and were there when Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel this weekend, killing hundreds.

Mr Yousaf told the BBC he strongly condemned the “unjustifiable” actions of Hamas.

“There can be no equivocation about that condemnation, and the Scottish government is strong in its condemnation, ” he said.

“What we have unfortunately seen is many innocent people lose their lives in the course of the last 48 and 72 hours.

”The lives of an innocent Israeli are to me equal to the lives of an innocent Palestinian.

“Many innocent people on both sides are losing their lives and that cannot be justified in any way, shape or form.”

The first minister said many Jewish families in Scotland would be worried about family members that they have not heard from.

More than 10 British citizens are feared dead or missing in Israel after the weekend's attack by Hamas, an official UK source has told the BBC.

Mr Yousaf said his in-laws Maged and Elizabeth El-Nakla had been visiting his father-in-law's 92-year-old mother when the Hamas attack took place.

He said they were told by Israeli authorities to leave because “Gaza will effectively be obliterated”.