FIRST Minister Humza Yousaf has said it is "unforgivable" for Scottish Labour's MPs to have refused to back an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and warned they were “on the wrong side of history”.
There was a significant Labour rebellion on Wednesday evening as 56 of the party's MPs, including 10 frontbenchers, defied Keir Starmer to support the SNP ceasefire motion. But neither of Scottish Labour's MPs, Ian Murray and Michael Shanks, were among the rebels.
Ultimately, both Labour's amendment calling for "humanitarian pauses" and the SNP's were defeated.
The SNP leader, who was recently reunited with his Palestinian in-laws after they returned to the UK from the warzone in Gaza, said the vote had been a chance to “put humanity before politics”.
He said one child has been killed every 10 minutes in Gaza, a statistic sourced from the World Health Organisation.
Yousaf said the death toll of 4500 children killed in a month during the Israel-Hamas war was “senseless”, and urged the public to speak out against the bloodshed.
The First Minister said: “Today at Westminster MPs were presented with the chance to vote in favour of the SNP ceasefire. This was a plea to put humanity before politics by endorsing a ceasefire.
“Too many parents have had to bury their children in Gaza. Too many children have become orphaned. Too many have suffered. And for far too long.
“A ceasefire would enable a humanitarian corridor and the crucial delivery of immediate aid to those in desperate need. I am beyond angry that Scottish Labour MPs and others refused to back the calls for an immediate ceasefire."
Scottish Labour's two MPs backed Starmer, despite claims during the recent Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-election from Shanks (below) that he would represent Scottish Labour's positions - namely in calling for a ceasefire.
Yousaf went on: “They are on the wrong side of history, which is unforgivable."
“Over 4500 innocent children have been killed in Gaza. The World Health Organisation has reported a heartbreaking statistic a child has been killed every 10 minutes.
“Let that sink in and know there are haunting images of tiny premature babies who have been removed from the incubators because the situation is so dire.
“This cannot continue. Humanity must prevail through collective international pressure. A path to ending the senseless violence can and must be found.
“We cannot allow the silent screams of the innocent to go unanswered. In the face of such profound sorrow, let all of our voices join the rallying cry of human solidarity. Take action.
“Use your voice and I can promise you that I will continue to raise my voice to demand an immediate ceasefire.
“We cannot allow this humanitarian catastrophe to go on for a second longer.”
