Humza Yousaf continues to fear for his in-laws trapped in Gaza who he hasn’t heard from since Israel’s bombardment against Hamas began – saying ‘we don’t know if our family is alive or lifeless’.
The Scottish First Minister stated he and his spouse Nadia El-Nakla are ‘desperately anxious’ and that she is ‘numb’ as they are attempting to find out news about her family.
Ms El-Nakla’s folks Elizabeth and Maged, of Dundee, travelled to Gaza ahead of hostilities flared up earlier this month to discuss with family and was trapped.
As Israel stepped up bombardment of Gaza and continues to enlarge its flooring operation it has knocked out communications and created a near-blackout of information.
Mr Yousaf advised BBC Scotland: ‘We haven’t heard from them clearly since the intensity of the bombing closing evening and you'll be able to believe how desperately worried we're, and to be frank, we don’t know if they are alive or useless.
Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf stated he and his wife have now not heard from his family, who had been ‘trapped’ in Gaza since Israel pounded the enclave
The Scottish First Minister said he and his wife Nadia El-Nakla (pictured) are ‘desperately fearful’ and that she is ‘numb’ as they are trying to determine information about her family
Ms El-Nakla’s parents Elizabeth and Maged (pictured), of Dundee, travelled to Gaza before hostilities flared up previous this month to talk over with family and changed into trapped
‘And that is the truth now not just dealing with us, clearly the reality for many people proper the world over who haven’t heard from their loved ones who are trapped in Gaza and feature been facing bombardment during the last 3 weeks.
‘My spouse is numb to be fair, I’m looking to do my perfect to provide her some hope and we’re doing our absolute best to check out to stay ourselves distracted, and clearly calling as many telephone numbers as we most likely can, as many kin as we can across Gaza, without a luck this some distance.
‘It’s having an have an effect on, in fact it is, and no longer just on my spouse. I listened to my four-year-old daughter this morning pretending to phone her granny, and asking when she is going to come again.’
The First Minister reiterated his name for a right away ceasefire.
Mr Yousaf stated: ‘It is a desperately tough situation for us individually but my thoughts are very a lot with the blameless men, girls and youngsters in Gaza who had been jointly punished intensely over the previous few weeks for against the law that they didn't devote and that’s why we want a ceasefire and we'd like one now.’
The First Minister prior to now wrote to all political leaders in the UK, urging them to back a ceasefire in Gaza. In a letter understood to had been despatched on Thursday evening, he stated Israel has a proper to protect itself following the attacks however added action will have to be taken now to prevent the ‘staggering humanitarian crisis’ unfolding in Gaza earlier than it becomes ‘cataclysmic’.
Mr Yousaf has endured to repeat his name for a ceasefire in the war-torn nation and updated social media, telling his followers that his main considerations lie with the blameless.
Sharing his update to X, previously referred to as Twitter, he wrote: ‘I’m afraid we have now no longer heard from my in-laws.
‘My concern is for all the blameless people suffering for a crime they did not commit.
‘ If you did not vote for peace, whilst kids are dying, then I don't know the way you sleep at evening.’
He finished the submit with the hashtag #CeaserfireNow.
Taking to social media on Friday evening, Mr Yousaf stated that telecommunications into the region were cut, leaving them unable to know if Madia El-Nakla’s family, together with her folks, are alive.
This remark used to be echoed through native telecoms firms as they mentioned all internet and cell service had long past, amid some of the heaviest bombardment of the Gaza Strip by means of Israel yet.
Mr Yousaf has persevered to repeat his name for a ceasefire in the war-torn country and these days up to date social media, telling his followers that his main issues lie with the blameless
It comes after the large expansion in floor operations by means of Israel amid ongoing bombardment targeting terror crew Hamas as of late
Taking to social media on Friday evening, Mr Yousaf said that telecommunications into the area were reduce
Israel has been warning of an drawing close flooring offensive for weeks after Hamas launched a brutal marvel assault into Israeli territory, killing at least 1,four hundred folks, most of whom had been civilians.
Its chief army spokesperson showed air and flooring operations could be significantly stepped up in a single day as it continues its response to the assaults, which the Hamas-led Palestinian health ministry thus far says has killed a minimum of 7,300 folks.
Hamas responded and said it is ‘able’ for an Israeli offensive.
Writing on X, formerly Twitter, Mr Yousaf mentioned on Friday: ‘Gaza is underneath intense bombing. Telecommunications were lower.
‘We can’t get through to our family who had been trapped in this conflict zone for virtually Three weeks. We can only pray they live on the night time. How many more kids have to die prior to the sector says enough?’
Mr Yousaf has been vocal in calling for an immediate ceasefire and extending humanitarian fortify into the besieged area.
Earlier this week he revealed that his in-laws don’t know ‘whether or not they are going to make it from one night to the next’.
He said on Monday that Elizabeth El-Nakla and her husband Maged – the parents of Mr Yousaf’s wife Nadia – had been left with simply six bottles of drinking water between one hundred folks.
‘They’re in reality residing in a situation that my mother-in-law describes as torture,’ Mr Yousaf mentioned.
‘The whole evening there shall be missiles, rocket fire, drones – they don’t know whether they are going to make it from one evening to the next.
‘They’re down to six bottles of clean drinking water in a area of 100 folks together with a two-month-old child, she tells me.’
Liberal Democrat MP Layla Moran, who has family members trapped in Gaza, said on Friday she confronted a sleepless evening over her fears for them
Explosions in the northern Gaza Strip pictured overnight on Friday
An Israeli army spokesperson stated flooring activities are being expanded this night
According to the Palestinian well being ministry, no less than 7,300 persons are recognized to have died
Israeli tanks and armoured cars were amassing alongside the Gaza border for weeks
Nadia’s folks prior to now recorded what they described as a ‘ultimate’ video message, recounting their fears that they would not continue to exist a floor attack by way of the IDF.
As news of the suspected offensive broke, Mr Yousaf’s SNP Westminster leader tweeted: ‘If correct, and a floor incursion is about to occur, it’d be unimaginable for the doors of the United Kingdom Parliament to stay shut.
‘With UK electorate trapped in Gaza and doable for huge regional and international impact, a recall must take place to press for a ceasefire.’
Liberal Democrat MP Layla Moran, who additionally has family trapped in Gaza, said on Friday night she used to be dealing with a sleepless night time over her fears for her family and the wider Palestinian other people.
She stated: ‘Every night I fall asleep fearful of what new heart-wrenching trends I am going to wake up to. But tonight, I may not have the ability to sleep at all. Please let me be improper.’
In a contemporary interview concerning the humanitarian crisis in Gaza with Richard Madeley, he used to be heavily criticised for asking whether her family had prior wisdom of the Hamas assault on Israel on October 7.
International support charities are also not able to contact their volunteers on the floor.
In a remark launched on social media, Oxfam stated: ‘Gaza [is] dealing with overall conversation blackout as on floor and air offensive intensifies.
‘Oxfam is deeply concerned concerning the situation, especially the whole lack of verbal exchange with Gaza. We demand a #CeasefireNOW to protect blameless lives.’
International charity ActionAid, which has bases in the UK and all over the world, said it is ‘gravely involved’ for the safety in their colleagues.
In a remark a spokesperson mentioned: ‘Tonight, we've got lost all touch with our colleagues in Gaza.
‘We are gravely involved for their protection and that of the entire other people of Gaza as indicators develop of a major land escalation following almost 3 weeks of bombardment.
‘We urgently call for the restoration of communique channels, as this is not just a topic of idea but in addition one of practical necessity.
‘The blackout isolates the population, making it nearly impossible for them to seek lend a hand, percentage their stories, or maintain contact with loved ones.
A salvo of rockets are fired from Gaza City against Israel on Friday night time
Charities say they're not able to get in touch with humanitarian volunteers as airstrikes proceed
‘This isolation deepens the suffering of the ones already enduring a dire humanitarian disaster amidst an build up in the aerial bombardment of civilians. A inhabitants that has already suffered so much is now underneath even more threat. We urgently reiterate our calls for a ceasefire.’
Palestine’s Red Crescent added it used to be ‘extraordinarily nervous and anxious’ for its colleagues.
Despite the worries, Foreign Secretary James Cleverly reaffirmed the UK government’s make stronger for Israel on Friday.
In a remark released on social media he stated: ‘Israel is increasing their military campaign against Hamas.
‘The UK’s most sensible precedence remains the safety of British nationals in Gaza and the region.
‘We reinforce Israel’s proper to self defence, in line with IHL [world humanitarian regulation], and proceed to push for the safety of Palestinian civilians.
Mr Cleverly’s feedback got here shortly earlier than the UN General Assembly handed a solution calling for a ‘humanitarian truce’.
‘In the ultimate hours, we intensified the attacks in Gaza,’ Israeli Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari told a televised news briefing, raising expectancies that the long-anticipated ground invasion of Gaza could also be beginning.
He mentioned the air force was conducting intensive moves on tunnels and other infrastructure.
‘In addition to the assaults carried out in the last few days, flooring forces are expanding their operations tonight,’ he said.
An advisor to Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu later added that Hamas would ‘really feel our wrath’.
Charities have lost contact with their support staff as bombing intensifies
Palestinians injured in Israeli air raids arrive at Nasser Medical Hospital on October 27
Israeli forces have massed out of doors Gaza, the place Israel has been carrying out an intense campaign of aerial bombardment since a perilous October 7 attack on Israel by means of the Islamist motion Hamas.
Earlier on Friday, Palestinian mobile phone provider supplier Jawwal said that products and services together with phone and internet had been minimize via heavy bombardment.
A commentary from the Palestine Red Crescent Society mentioned it had utterly misplaced touch with its operations room in Gaza and all its groups running at the floor.
Israel has mentioned has been preparing a floor invasion, however has been steered through the U.S. and Arab countries to prolong an operation that will multiply the number of civilian casualties in the densely populated coastal strip and would possibly ignite a much wider warfare.
A flooring invasion would markedly escalates Israel’s marketing campaign of retribution for the deadly Hamas attack of October 7.
Such an operation would exacerbate what help groups call a humanitarian crisis in Gaza following days of aerial bombardment that Hamas well being authorities say have killed more than 7,000 Palestinians.
That adopted a shock attack by means of masses of Hamas gunmen, who rampaged via Israeli communities with reference to the Gaza Strip, killing 1,four hundred folks and dragging more than two hundred into captivity.
Concerns a few risk of a wider Middle East conflict have risen in recent days with the U.S. dispatching extra military belongings to the region as Israel pummelled targets in Gaza and Hamas supporters in Lebanon and Syria.
Israeli leaders have vowed to wipe out Hamas, the Islamist motion that has run Gaza since 2007, and kill the leaders and planners of the Oct. 7 attack, undeterred by means of pleas from humanitarian companies to spare the civilian population.
Much of the infrastructure of Gaza, which has been residing beneath blockade by way of Israel and Egypt since 2007, has been shattered through the Israeli bombing.
This is a breaking news tale and is being up to date.
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