Humza Yousaf calls for UK to push for Gaza humanitarian corridor
The leader of Scotland, Humza Yousaf, has urged the foreign secretary of the United Kingdom to advocate for a safe route that will aid in the transport of the people living in Gaza. This humanitarian corridor will ensure the safe and prompt evacuation of civilians.
On Monday, Yousaf shared that his spouse Nadia's folks, residing in Dundee, are currently stuck in Gaza and are experiencing difficulty searching for a secure route.
Yousaf sent a letter to James Cleverly on Tuesday to express his disapproval of the Hamas terrorist attacks, emphasizing how he found them repugnant.
Yousaf expressed concern about the unjustifiable and unlawful assaults by Hamas, which have already resulted in the demise of numerous innocent individuals. He also stated that innocent citizens, regardless of their gender or age, should not bear the brunt of a terrorist organization's wrongdoing.
Punishing a group of civilians who are not guilty is not right, and it won't create a peaceful situation in that area.
Yousaf went on to say: "Being a good friend and partner of Israel, I urge the UK government to demand that Israel's government ensures the safety of civilians and sets up a ceasefire immediately. This will enable people to safely cross the Rafah border."
In addition, it is necessary to establish a pathway for humanitarian aid to enter Gaza. This will enable the delivery of vital resources such as nourishment, energy, hydration, and medicine to the civilians who are confined and unable to depart.
Yousaf's spouse's parents, Maged and Elizabeth El-Nakla, were visiting his spouse's grandfather's mother who is 92 years old when the initial Hamas assault occurred during the weekend.
Yousaf stated to the BBC on the first day of the week that even though the British Foreign Office has been working hard, they cannot provide assurance for safe travelling to any location.
I'm facing an uncertain situation where it's unclear if my in-laws, who do not have any involvement in Hamas or terrorist activities like many other residents of Gaza, will survive the night or not.
In his letter addressed to Cleverly, Yousaf concluded by urging the global community to take a proactive approach and strive towards an immediate end to hostilities, while ensuring that both the Israelis and Palestinians are treated on an equal footing that fosters long-term peace.
He mentioned that the administration of Scotland is prepared to support in providing assistance for relief operations.
On Tuesday, people expressed their respect and admiration for Bernard Cowan. He was a grandfather who lived in Glasgow when he was young, but later on moved to Israel. Unfortunately, he was identified as the initial casualty from Scotland in the Hamas attack on Israel over the weekend.
Bernard Cowan's family released a statement expressing their immense sorrow for the loss of their beloved son and brother. Bernard was a victim of the brutal terrorist attack that Hamas carried out unexpectedly on Israel on Saturday.
We kindly request some privacy during this difficult time as we cope with the enormous loss of our beloved family member. This loss deeply affects not only our household but also our extended family residing in Israel and the Jewish community in Glasgow, where he will be greatly missed.
