Humza Yousaf has said his in-laws are “safe and back home” after they fled Gaza.
“I am pleased to say my in-laws are safe and back home,” the First Minister said in a post on social media site X.
“We are, of course, elated, but my father-in-law said, ‘My heart is broken in two, and with my mum, son & grandchildren in Gaza’.
“He then broke down telling me how hard it was saying goodbye to them."
I am pleased to say my in-laws are safe and back home ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّٰهِ
— Humza Yousaf (@HumzaYousaf) November 5, 2023
We are, of course, elated, but my father-in-law said, "My heart is broken in two, and with my mum, son & grandchildren in Gaza." He then broke down telling me how hard it was saying goodbye to them. pic.twitter.com/rJxccT6SkQ
He continued: "All of the family is so pleased to have them back home in Scotland. However, our thoughts remain with those who can't leave and are trapped in a war zone.
"We will continue to raise our voices for peace and to stop the killing of innocent men, women & children in Gaza.
"This has been a traumatic few weeks. I can't begin to tell you the impact it has had on Nadia and our family, particularly my in-laws. I'm sure they will tell their story in time. In the meantime, we ask that their privacy is respected.
"Thank you for all of your good wishes."
Elizabeth and Maged El-Nakla left Gaza through the Rafah border crossing on Friday after being given permission to leave by the Palestinian Border Authority.
READ MORE: Humza Yousaf commits to further humanitarian aid for Gaza
Elizabeth, a retired nurse from Dundee, had been visiting family with her husband when the October 7 Massacre in Israel ignited the current hostilities, and had become trapped in the Palestinian territory.
The First Minister previously told how his mother-in-law had given up hope of escaping the conflict.
Mr Yousaf said: “They’re really living in a situation that my mother-in-law describes as torture.
“The whole night there will be missiles, rocket fire, drones – they don’t know whether they are going to make it from one night to the next."
Mr Yousaf has called for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas to allow humanitarian aid to be sent to the warzone.
All exits from the strip were shut for weeks as Israel implemented a siege of the territory and launched an intense aerial assault.
The Rafah crossing currently offers the only way in and out of Gaza after it was opened by Egypt on Wednesday.
The fighting between Israel and Hamas has continued into a fifth week.
A spokesman for the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry said Israeli warplanes struck the Maghazi refugee camp in the Strip early on Sunday, killing at least 38 people and injuring dozens of others.
The Health Ministry has said more than 9,400 Palestinians have been killed in the enclave in nearly a month of war.
Israel has continued with its offensive, which has included sending ground troops into the north of Gaza, to crush the territory’s Hamas rulers.
The continued incursion and air strikes come despite appeals from the likes of the United States and the UK for a suspension of the fighting to get aid to desperate civilians.
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