Almost all communication with people in Gaza was cut off on Friday evening as Israel intensified air strikes on the Gaza Strip
iNews
Scotland’s First Minister said he has not been able to contact his in-laws stuck in Gaza as the territory faces heavy bombardment by the Israeli military.
Humza Yousaf said on Saturday he has not been able to reach his wife’s mother and her husband after communication networks were cut off in the Gaza Strip.
They had travelled to Gaza to visit relatives but got trapped after Hamas, the militant group that rules Gaza, attacked Israel on Saturday 7 October, sparking retaliatory air strikes.
The territory is in “total chaos” after the heaviest night of Israeli air strikes yet, according to reports.
On Friday night, the military said it was intensifying its bombing of Gaza and that ground forces were “expanding operations”.
IDF footage purports to show tanks in Gaza and spokesman Daniel Hagari said the military was “still in the field” on Saturday morning.
Almost all communication with people in Gaza was cut off on Friday evening as phone services and the internet were shut down across the besieged enclave.
Palestinian journalist Rushdi Abualouf, reporting from Gaza for the BBC, described scenes of “panic everywhere” with ambulances driving towards the sound of explosions as they can no longer communicate with anyone.
Mr Yousaf and his wife, Nadia El-Nakla, are some of those who have been unable to reach colleagues and loved ones since the blackout.
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.#CeasefireNow
— Humza Yousaf (@HumzaYousaf) October 28, 2023
Using the hashtag “ceasefire now”, he wrote on X: “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.”
It comes after the UN General Assembly has approved a non-binding resolution calling for a “humanitarian truce” in Gaza, that would lead leading to an end to the Israel-Hamas conflict.
But the UK abstained on the Gaza resolution, put forward by Jordan on behalf of the Arab group.
Explaining the decision, the UK at the UN said: “We welcome its call for respect for international humanitarian law, protection of civilians and aid access. These are UK priorities.
“But it had a glaring omission: condemnation of Hamas. Condemning terrorism should not be controversial.”
