A Scottish green MSP has deleted a controversial tweet about the Israel and Gaza conflict which caused "significant upset and anger".
Maggie Chapman MSP was widely criticised for the tweet posted on the day Hamas attacked Israel, where she claimed the raids were a "consequence" of Israeli "Apartheid" and "illegal occupation".
Ms Chapman was "spoken to" by Greens co-leader Lorna Slater about the matter, and on Friday night (October 13) she posted a thread on X (formerly Twitter) in response to the backlash.
She said: "As a prominent campaigner for a peaceful and long-lasting solution to the Palestinian-Israeli crisis, earlier this week I shared a post on the social media platform X that sought to widen the context of the tragedy unfolding in Gaza.
"I recognise this post caused significant upset and anger for some. That was never my intention, and I regret where this was the result."
Ms Chapman said the post had become a "distraction" to efforts to focus on dealing with the unfolding humanitarian disaster.
She said she had therefore removed the post, and said focus must be on how to prevent further killing and suffering.
The MSP for North East Scotland said: "The Green Group of MSPs are clear in our shared view that the killing of civilians was an act of terrorism. We urge Hamas to release all hostages safely and immediately.
"We also condemn the killing of civilians and the ongoing siege of Gaza by Israel in the strongest terms and call for a halt to their military operations to prevent the continuing human catastrophe that is unfolding."
Read more: Maggie Chapman criticised over Hamas tweet in wake of attack
Ms Chapman's original tweet posted on Sunday (October 8) said: "What’s happening in #Palestine is a consequence of #Apartheid, of illegal occupation, & of imperial aggression by the Israel state. Palestinian civilians have seen their homes destroyed, their water stolen & their land appropriated illegally.”
She also shared a tweet from another account which said: "The OPPRESSED are fighting back for their rights.. Don't let the Western media fool you into thinking it's terrorism, this is decolonization.”
Her comments were described as "vile" by Scottish Conservative MSP Jackson Carlaw, who said it should be the end of the "toxic" Bute House Agreement.
Read more: Humza Yousaf: I feel powerless to help family trapped in Gaza
First Minister Humza Yousaf called the remarks "terribly crass". The SNP leader, whose inlaws are trapped in Gaza, described the Hamas attacks as "unjustifiable".
At least 1,900 Palestinians and 1,300 Israelis have been killed since conflict broke out in retaliation to Hamas' surprise attack on Sunday, October 8.
Israel's military has told more than one million people to evacuate northern Gaza in 24 hours ahead of an expected ground invasion, in what has been described as a violation of international humanitarian law.
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