Scottish Prime Minister Humza Yousaf confirms his wife’s parents are among 92 Britons who fled Gaza today, saying it is the end of a “living nightmare” for the family

Scottish Prime Minister Humza Yousaf confirmed his in-laws were among 92 Britons allowed to leave Gaza this morning, ending a weeks-long “nightmare” for the family.

Elizabeth El-Nakla and her husband Maged – the parents of Mr. Yousaf’s wife Nadia – was trapped when Israel besieged the area after Hamas’ October 7 terror attack on Israel, in which the group killed 1,400 people.

The couple – from Dundee – had traveled to Gaza to visit family before the conflict broke out. Since then, Israel has carried out a brutal bombardment of the area, killing thousands of civilians in attacks on Hamas terror cells.

There are serious concerns about their safety. Mr Yousaf said on social media last week that they had lost contact with them during a telecommunications outage and had no information on their well-being.

But the SNP leader and his wife confirmed this morning that the couple were part of a group of almost 100 people who were allowed to enter Egypt via the Rafah border crossing in the southern Gaza Strip.

In a statement they said: “The last four weeks have been a nightmare for our family. We are so grateful for all the messages of comfort and prayers we have received from around the world and even across the political spectrum in Scotland and the UK received.’

Mr Yousaf added: “While we feel a sense of deep personal relief, we are deeply saddened by the ongoing suffering of the people of Gaza.

Elizabeth El-Nakla and her husband Maged – the parents of Mr. Yousaf’s wife Nadia – was trapped when Israel besieged the area after Hamas’ October 7 terror attack on Israel, in which the group killed 1,400 people.

But the SNP leader and his wife confirmed this morning that the couple were part of a group of almost 100 people who were allowed to enter Egypt via the Rafah border crossing in the southern Gaza Strip.

“We will continue to raise our voices to end the killing and suffering of the innocent people of Gaza.

“We reiterate our calls to all parties to agree to an immediate ceasefire and the opening of a humanitarian corridor to allow substantial aid, including fuel, to flow to a population that has suffered collective punishment for too long. ” Hostages released.

“Families in Gaza and Israel are suffering the loss of completely innocent men, women and children.

“We pray for all of them and for the international community to finally focus on achieving lasting peace in the region: a peace that recognizes that the rights and lives of Palestinians and Israelis are equal.”

The siege has left supplies of food, water, fuel and medicine at dangerously low levels in the Gaza Strip, home to more than 2.3 million people.

Mr Yousaf’s wife, Nadia El-Nakla, reported that her parents had no clean drinking water and faced supplies running out fast.

READ MORE: Israeli forces surround Gaza City as ground invasion apaces and Antony Blinken arrives in Tel Aviv

On Wednesday, the prime minister welcomed the opening of the Rafah crossing, which allowed people to leave Gaza, but at the time his in-laws were not among those allowed.

The list, released overnight by the Palestinian Border Authority, says those listed on it “must be present in the external halls of the border crossing at 07:00 to facilitate their travel.”

The latest list of people allowed to leave Gaza published by the Palestinian Border Authority includes 92 people described as British citizens, out of a total of 127 people included in the British part of the list.

It comes as part of a major diplomatic effort to ensure safe passage for foreigners from the war-torn region to Egypt via the Rafah border crossing.

Around 200 Britons in Gaza have so far registered with the authorities, and the total number of Britons trying to secure passage with their family members is thought to be in the low hundreds.

The Foreign Office said on Thursday that more British citizens could reach Egypt after two British aid workers managed to escape Gaza a day earlier.

They would not say how many there were, the Press Association reported.

Security Minister Tom Tugendhat said he could not provide any information on the number of Britons expected to cross the border.

“I can’t really go into detail about this because there are just a lot of moving parts. Many different things come together in these exit routes.

“Different families have different stresses and different behaviors, so you will understand that it is not so easy to make a running comment and that it would be wrong to do so.”

He told Sky News: “I can give absolute assurance that the British Government, from the Prime Minister, the Foreign Secretary, myself and many others, are absolutely committed to ensuring that we provide the best possible service to British citizens liver. and to help us get out of this incredibly dangerous situation.”

More than 9,000 people have been killed in the Gaza Strip since October 7, when Israel launched its military response to atrocities committed by Hamas.

Children wait at the Rafah border for the arrival of Palestinian workers who were in Israel during the October 7 Hamas attack, after being returned by Israel to the strip in the southern Gaza Strip on November 3.

Aid groups are grappling with a humanitarian crisis with limited resources in the war-torn region and are calling on the government to step up efforts.

Foreign Minister James Cleverly reportedly spoke with Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi and Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Thursday about the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

He also spoke to Israel’s Minister of Strategic Affairs, Ron Dermer, about ensuring that British citizens can safely enter Egypt as quickly as possible.

The UK is said to have smartly reiterated its solidarity with Israel and its commitment to a two-state solution to the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian crisis.