HUMZA Yousaf’s family have arrived back in Scotland after weeks trapped in Gaza.
Elizabeth El-Nakla and her husband Maged have been reunited with the First Minister and his wife Nadia El-Nakla, the BBC reported.
They managed to cross into Egypt on Friday after the Rafah crossing was opened to British foreign nationals in the strip.
The BBC reported the couple arrived at Edinburgh Airport at around 10.30am on Sunday.
They had spent the past two weeks in a house where 100 others were sheltering and endured harsh privations including running out of clean drinking water, reportedly forcing them to use seawater.
In a tweet, Yousaf said he was “elated” but said his father-in-law Maged was heartbroken for the family they had left behind in Gaza.
I am pleased to say my in-laws are safe and back home ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّٰهِ We are, of course, elated, but my father-in-law said, "My heart is broken in two, and with my mum, son & grandchildren in Gaza." He then broke down telling me how hard it was saying goodbye to them. pic.twitter.com/rJxccT6SkQ
— Humza Yousaf (@HumzaYousaf) November 5, 2023
Yousaf’s brother-in-law is a doctor in Palestine and has stayed in the strip, while Maged’s mother – whom the couple were visiting before war broke out – has also stayed in Gaza.
Yousaf said: “I am pleased to say my in-laws are safe and back home [praise be to God].
“We are, of course, elated, but my father-in-law said: ‘My heart is broken in two, and with my mum, son and grandchildren in Gaza.’
“He then broke down telling me how hard it was saying goodbye to them.
“All of the family is so pleased to have them back home in Scotland. However, our thoughts remain with those who can't leave and are trapped in a war zone.
“We will continue to raise our voices for peace and to stop the killing of innocent men, women and children in Gaza. This has been a traumatic few weeks. I can't begin to tell you the impact it has had on Nadia and our family, particularly my in-laws.
“I'm sure they will tell their story in time. In the meantime, we ask that their privacy is respected.
“Thank you for all of your good wishes.”
Yousaf has previously shared a video of his brother-in-law working at a hospital in Gaza and said he had been told Mohammed: “I can’t leave my people when they need me.”
