LONDON (AA) - Scotland's first minister has issued a heartfelt plea urging the UK government to call for an immediate cease-fire in the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict as well as a humanitarian corridor into the embattled Palestinian enclave.
In a letter penned on Tuesday, Humza Yousaf directed his appeal to Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, imploring him to utilize the UK’s strong diplomatic ties with Israel to facilitate the safe evacuation of civilians from the Gaza Strip.
The call for a cease-fire and humanitarian assistance is particularly personal for Yousaf, as his in-laws continue to reside in Gaza, where he said they are presently "stranded" but still alive.
Yousaf stressed the urgency of the situation, writing: "Too many innocent people have already lost their lives as a consequence of these completely unjustifiable and illegitimate attacks by Hamas. However, innocent men, women, and children cannot, and should not, pay the price for the actions of a terrorist group."
"As a close friend and ally of Israel, I therefore ask the UK government to call on the government of Israel to ensure that innocent civilians are protected and to immediately implement a ceasefire to allow the safe passage of civilians (in Gaza) through the Rafah border," which leads into Egypt, he added.
The blockaded enclave has a population of some 2.2 million, and has been targeted by Israeli airstrikes since the violence escalated, including on such vital peaceful facilities as hospitals and mosques. Israel has also cut off its water and electricity supplies, worsening the blockaded enclave’s already dire humanitarian situation.
Furthermore, Yousaf urged: "It (Israel) should open a humanitarian corridor into Gaza to allow supplies, including food, fuel, water, and medical resources, to reach those civilians who are trapped, helpless, and unable to leave."
Last weekend, regional tension escalated with a surprise attack from Palestinian group Hamas in the Gaza Strip on southern Israeli towns. Israel retaliated with massive airstrikes in Gaza and placed the enclave under total blockade.
More than 1,800 people have so far been killed in the violence, including at least 830 Palestinians and 1,000 Israelis.
The Gaza Strip has already been reeling under a crippling Israeli siege since 2007.