Humza Yousaf reveals family trapped in Gaza have just six bottles of water left

23 October 2023, 13:08 | Updated: 23 October 2023, 13:09

Humza Yousaf has revealed his family who are trapped in war-torn Gaza have just six bottles of water left to share between 100 people.

Scotland's First Minister gave an update on his parents-in-law's situation as he travelled to Brechin to see the damage wrought by Storm Babet on the Angus town.

They had gone to Gaza to visit his wife Nadia's grandmother, a week before the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel, and the subsequent bombing of the north of the strip by the Israeli military.

Asked if he had heard from his mother-in-law Elizabeth, he told reporters he had spoken to her by phone earlier this morning and she had described the situation as "toture".

"The whole night there's missiles, rocker fire, drones and they don't know if they'll make it from one night to the next," he said.

"They're down to six bottles of clean drinking water within a house of 100 people including a two month old baby. She's asking me, plading with me, and I'm pleading with the UK government, not just to ask for the border to be opened but to demand the crossuing is opened and there's a ceasefire right now."

He added: "Above and beyond my family which is two people, there are 2.2 million people who have nothing to do with Hamas and their terrible atrocities who are suffering.

"Every single one of us have seen the images, we're all heartbroken, yet there is no ceasefire. People who want to leave should be allowed to leave and we need far more aid than the trickle of 15 or 20 trucks every single day. So I hope the international community will redouble their efforts, step up their efforts to help the innocent people of Gaza."

His comments come as the Hamas-controlled Palestinian health ministry in Gaza said the number of people killed there since October 7 has risen to 5,087, inlcuding 2,055 children. The ministry also stated that more than 15,273 people have been injured.

It has also been revealed that 11 British citizens were killed by Hamas during its attack on Israel. One has been kidnapped and at least four are still missing. More than 1,400 Israelis were killed when Hamas attacked communities near Gaza, shooting civilians dead in their homes, in the streets and at a music festival.

In Brechin the First Minister said the Scottish Government had "hugged many a devstated resident" affected by the storm.

He said he was "standing alongside our partners and Angus Council to do everything he can to support them, given the devastation we've seen,"

"My heart has warmed the last few days at the scale of the community response, not just the emergency services, but the volunteers who have also come together to answer the call for those who have been left devastated.

"But look, we don't want people to have to rely on volunteers. and the government is prepared to work with Angus Council to step in to help. But people right across Scotland will have been impacted, which is why the scheme is open, why we put £42m into flood defences every year and we've also committed £150 million pounds on top of that over the course of the parliamentary term to partners in relation to flooding.

"This is going to be a long road to recovery given the scale of devastation, and I've seen it be witnessed over the last few days. And we're here for the long haul."