Humza Yousaf has said the situation in Gaza is already “hell on Earth” and his father-in-law has been left a “shell”, as he discussed the impact the war has had on his wife’s family.
The former first minister said Palestinians will always resist attempts to take over their land, in response to recent remarks from Donald Trump which have thrown the recent Israel-Hamas ceasefire into question.
Maged and Elizabeth El-Nakla – the parents of Mr Yousaf’s wife Nadia El-Nakla – were visiting relatives in the Palestinian enclave when war broke out following October 7 2023.
They became trapped for four weeks before leaving through Egypt with other British nationals.
Speaking to the PA news agency Mr Yousaf said any prospect of his parents-in-law returning to Gaza is a “very distant dream”.
One of Nadia’s cousins, Sally, fled her home in the north of Gaza to stay at Maged’s house in Deir al-Balah in the central part of the strip.
Mr Yousaf said: “She has not travelled back to the north, because she has already been told her house has been completely flattened and turned to rubble.
“So what is the point of making the arduous journey back with four children only to return to rubble and dust?
“So the situation is hell on Earth.”
Those who fled the strip, he said, did so because they had no choice.
The former first minister said that before the latest Israel-Hamas war broke out, Maged had extended his house and purchased a mosque next door for the community. These have been damaged in the war but are still standing.
Maged and Elizabeth described Gaza as a “beautiful place”, he said, having been removed form another part of Palestine when he was younger.
Mr Yousaf said: “He’s now seen the entire land become decimated – seen his mum, his son, his grandchildren all become refugees again. And is powerless to do anything about it.
“He’s become a shell of a man, he was incredibly outgoing, sociable, energetic individual.
“Since those traumatic four weeks it’s had an impact on him and my mother-in-law from which I don’t think they’ll properly recover.”
Any prospect of returning to Gaza is far from their minds and “seems like a very distant dream”, he said, due to the ongoing hardships there and the fact much of the family has now left.
Nadia’s brother, Mohammed, was working as a doctor in Gaza during the war but has now left and is working in a shwarma shop in another country, Mr Yousaf said.
People in Gaza are “the most resilient in the world” but are “worried about what the future holds”, the MSP said.
Mr Trump’s comments should be taken seriously and could lead to more “death and devastation” in Gaza, he said.
The US President has suggested taking over the Gaza Strip and recently said “all hell is going to break out” if Hamas does not release all hostages by a Saturday deadline.
Mr Yousaf said he cannot speak for Palestinians, but suspects “people in Gaza will make it abundantly clear, that whoever threatens to take their land they will resist …
“They’ll make it abundantly clear they won’t give up their land regardless of how many US tax dollars are thrown at them.”
He continued: “Donald Trump tries to use a kind of strongman tactic to convince Hamas to release the rest of the hostages – something I’ve been calling for from day one.
“The people who will pay the price of that won’t be Hamas, it will be the innocent people of Gaza.”
He said Hamas as well as Israel must be held accountable, saying “international law must apply to non-state parties as much as state parties”.
Mr Yousaf also said the UK must stop being “complicit” in war crimes and exert influence on Israel to comply with international law.
