The parents of Dundee city councillor Nadia El-Nakla have made it out of Gaza at the Egyptian border after weeks of hell.
Maged and Elizabeth El-Nakla, who both stay in Dundee, were trapped while Israel bombards the Palestinian territory.
The couple had travelled to Gaza before the conflict between Israel and Hamas erupted.
They were offered fresh hope of an escape after their names were included on a list of people who will be allowed to cross into Egypt.
‘Living nightmare’
On Friday morning, daughter Nadia and Mr Yousaf said in a joint statement: “These last four weeks have been a living nightmare for our family, we are so thankful for all of the messages of comfort and prayers that we have received from across the world, and indeed from across the political spectrum in Scotland and the UK.
“Although we feel a sense of deep personal relief, we are heartbroken at the continued suffering of the people of Gaza.
“We will continue to raise our voices to stop the killing and suffering of the innocent people of Gaza.”
They called again for “all sides” to agree a ceasefire and to open a humanitarian corridor for aid and fuel, and for all hostages to be released.
“Families in Gaza and Israel are suffering after the loss of entirely innocent men, women and children,” they continued.
“We pray for them all, and pray that the international community at last focuses on achieving a lasting peace in the region: one that recognises that the rights and lives of Palestinians and Israelis are equal.”
Nadia El-Nakla’s parents made it out but she still has family in Gaza, including her brother and gran who are Palestinian citizens.
Ran out of water
They endured a nightmare ordeal and were left without fresh drinking water after Israel cut off supplies to Gaza.
The first minister said they had been forced into drinking seawater in order to survive.
For weeks Mr Yousaf has been calling for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas to minimise civilian deaths.
The couple’s daughter made a desperate plea for their safety at the SNP conference in Aberdeen last month.
Ms El-Nakla’s father is originally from Palestine, and her brother who lives there has been working as a doctor while casualties grow.
Two weeks ago Ms El-Nakla’s mother Elizabeth, a retired nurse, shared her goodbyes after members of her family were hit by a rocket blast.
Beforehand she made a heartfelt plea for humanity to prevail in a tearful video, which was shared by Mr Yousaf.
Around 200 British nationals are thought to be trapped in Gaza. The UK foreign office advised citizens to leave at the Rafah Crossing on the southern border with Egypt.
However, this has been impossible for much of the conflict as Israel repeatedly bombed the Palestinian side of the border.
On Thursday morning, Mr Yousaf announced £250,000 to help displaced Palestinians access food, water and medical supplies.
It takes the Scottish Government’s total funding to assist the relief efforts to £750,000, benefiting the United Nations Relief and Works Agency’s (UNRWA) flash appeal.
Conversation