Scotland’s First Minister Humza Yousaf briefly broke off a walkabout in flood devastated Brechin to take a call from his mother-in-law trapped in war-torn Gaza.
The SNP leader excused himself for a moment to take the call from Elizabeth El-Nakla, a retired nurse from Dundee, on Monday morning.
His Dundee-based mother and father in-law are still alive but remain trapped in Gaza facing a “dire” situation as Israel bombs the Palestinian territory.
Mother-in-law pleading for first minister to do something
Following his brief call with the mother of his wife, Dundee West End councillor Nadia El- Nakla, Mr Yousaf said she was pleading with him to do something.
Mr Yousaf said: “My mother-in-law is pleading with me to demand that the UK government push to get the border open to let innocent nationals like themselves out.
“It’s torture for them and it’s a nightmare for us. They desperately want to come home.
“As of today they have six bottles of water left between 100 of them.”
There is also a two-month-old baby in the house, he added.
“They are telling me they are powerless and have had no news about the border,” Mr Yousaf said.
He added his in-laws and wider family members have few supplies left with only a trickle of foreign aid getting in.
He said: “They also have no electricity and are under constant bombardment.”
Nadia El -Nakla’s parents, Elizabeth and Maged El-Nakla, had been visiting family, including her frail gran, in the Palestinian territory when they got caught up in the war.
Earlier this month Nadia El-Nakla spoke about her fear she may never see her trapped parents again as they are unable to escape Gaza.
