Scotland's First Minister has lost contact with his in-laws trapped in Gaza as communication there goes down
Humza Yousaf is calling for a ceasefire in the conflict between Israel and Hamas
Last updated 28th Oct 2023
Scotland's First Minister Humza Yousaf said he has not heard from his in-laws in Gaza as the territory comes under heavy bombardment from Israeli armed forces.
Mr Yousaf said on Saturday he had been unable to contact his wife's mother and her husband after communications were cut off as bombing of the Gaza Strip intensified.
Writing on X, he said: "Thank you for your good wishes, I'm afraid we have not heard from my in-laws.
"My concern is for all the innocent people suffering for a crime they did not commit. If you did not vote for peace, while children are dying, then I do not know how you sleep at night."
The First Minister ended his post with a call for a ceasefire in the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
However, the UK's Foreign Secretary, James Cleverly, claims calls for a ceasefire "aren't going to help the situation".
He said: "We have consistently sought to bring about pauses to facilitate the inward passage of the humanitarian aid that we are providing and the release of hostages and the evacuation of British nationals in Gaza so that has been our position from the start."