"Could Be My Last Video": Scotland Minister's Mother-In-Law Trapped In Gaza

Israel has given a 24-hour ultimatum to residents to flee to the south of Gaza from the north as it plans to conduct all-out air bombings and ground invasion of the region. Over 1 million residents in north Gaza are now evacuating to save their lives from Israeli counter-strikes.

Gaza is 41 km long and is divided into 5 parts; North Gaza, Gaza, Middle Area, Khan Yunnis and Raffah. Thousands of cars, with beds, chairs, and suitcases atop, are relocating to the south which is still witnessing air strikes from Israel.

Raising humanitarian concern over Israel's ultimatum, Scotland's First Minister Humza Yousaf, shared a video of his mother-in-law, who is trapped in Gaza like "many who have nothing to do with Hamas" and is pleading for help.

This is Elizabeth El-Nakla. She is my mother-in-law. A retired nurse from Dundee, Scotland. She, like the vast majority of people in Gaza, has nothing to do with Hamas. She has been told to leave Gaza but, like the rest of the population, is trapped with nowhere to go. pic.twitter.com/D3ZUtnEmyO

— Humza Yousaf (@HumzaYousaf) October 13, 2023

Elizabeth El-Nakla, a retired nurse from Dundee, Scotland is trapped in Gaza and is now ordered to evacuate before Israel strikes, Ms Nakla said, "This could be my last video, everybody from Gaza is moving toward where we are. One million people with no food, no water, but what about those in the hospital, they cannot be evacuated."

"Where is humanity, where is people's heart to let this happen in this day and age? May god help us," Ms Nakla added.

Scotland's First Minister Humza Yousaf earlier said his wife's parents have been caught up in the aftermath of Hamas's weekend attack on Israel.

Mr Yousaf's wife, Nadia El-Nakla is Palestinian and her parents, who live in Scotland, were visiting family in Gaza.

Humza Yousaf said the Israeli authorities had told his parents-in-law to leave but not guaranteed safe passage.

Innocent civilians on both sides of the war are at the receiving end of the relentless attacks. Over 1,300 Israelis and more than 1,500 Palestinians have been killed in the attacks.

Humanitarian Crisis

Israel has started amassing its troops along with tanks and infantry fighting vehicles ahead of its expected ground invasion. Over 300,000 Israeli reservists have been mobilised for the possible siege which has raised concerns of a serious humanitarian crisis the region has seen in the past few years.

The United Nations has warned that Israel's call for Gaza civilians to leave could not happen "without devastating humanitarian consequences", prompting a rebuke from Israel which said it should condemn Hamas and support Israel's right to self-defence.

Israel has already indicated its willingness to inflict collateral damage, including killing civilians.

Gaza is often termed as an "open prison" due to tight border restrictions from Israel and Egypt. Only two border crossings are open - One in the north along the border with Israel and one in the south along Gaza's border with Egypt.

Israel has ruled out any possibility of opening other border crossings, leaving only the southern border crossing in Raffa the only option for a million residents to leave the 365 sq km strip of land.