Israel-Gaza War: Scotland Minister's Wife Fears For "Terrified" Parents Trapped In Gaza

The wife of Scotland's First Minister Humza Yousaf has said that she is "just living in a nightmare" and that her parents are "terrified" about what might happen next. In an interview with the BBC, Nadia El-Nakla said that her parents, Elizabeth and Maged El-Nakla, continually tell her that "they feel like they are going to die". She also stated that some relatives have had their homes destroyed in missile strikes. 

Notably, the El-Naklas travelled to Gaza last week to visit an elderly relative and Ms El-Nakla's brother, who works as a doctor in Gaza. They found themselves trapped after Hamas operatives on Saturday broke through the border and launched rockets from Gaza.

Now, speaking to the outlet, the wife of Scotland's First Minister said that it was "incredibly difficult right now". "I don't know what it means for them in the long-term, I don't know what's about to happen to them. For me, my number one is my family being safe," Ms El-Nakla added. 

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Ms El-Nakla also stated, "At times my arms feel like lead and it feels like I am just living in a nightmare for them. So I can't understand how they feel". She said that she has a number of scenarios going through her head and has warned against any cuts to aid. "This needs to be a time when medical resources, food, water, basic human needs are met. That is international law. It is really vital. That's my fear. First is they die. Second is they are starving. Three is the house is put to rubble and they are in camps," she told the outlet. 

Meanwhile, Ms El-Nakla's mother recorded a short video clip in which she raised humanitarian concerns and pleaded for help. "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," she said in the video. 

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

Innocent lives on both sides of the war are at the receiving end of the reckless attacks. Thousands of people have been killed or injured so far in Israel and Gaza. Over 423,000 people have also been displaced from their homes within the Gaza Strip, the United Nations has said. 

Today, Israeli Defence Forces even issued a fresh warning to Palestinians in Gaza. The officials asked residents to leave their homes and not return till further notice as Israel mounts its biggest counteroffensive on Gazan soil in decades. Thousands of pamphlets warning Palestinians were dropped on Gaza by the military cautioning them against staying back when the Israeli retaliation begins.