THE First Minister of Scotland has issued a “rallying cry of human solidarity” to demand an immediate ceasefire in Gaza following the defeat of SNP amendment on the issue at Westminster.
In a video uploaded to his social media accounts, Humza Yousaf said he was “beyond angry” that Scottish Labour MPs had joined their party to refuse calls for a ceasefire.
He called on people to “take action” and to “use your voice”, pledging to continue to “raise” his voice.
Yousaf said: “Today at Westminster, MPs were presented with the chance to vote in favour of the SNP’s ceasefire amendment. 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 that would enable a humanitarian corridor and the crucial delivery of immediate aid to those in desperate need.”
MPs voted 293 to 125, majority 168, to reject the SNP’s King’s Speech amendment calling for “all parties to agree to an immediate ceasefire” in Gaza.
But 56 Labour MPs backed the position, rejecting their party leader’s stance.
Labour MPs had been ordered to abstain on the SNP move and were told instead to back Starmer’s position calling for longer “humanitarian pauses” rather than a ceasefire.
Yousaf added: “I am beyond angry that Scottish Labour MPs and others refused to back the calls for an immediate ceasefire. They are on the wrong side of history, which is unforgivable.
“Over 4,500 innocent children have been killed in Gaza. The World Health Organisation has reported a heart-wrenching statistic: a child has been killed every 10 minutes. Let that sink in.
“In the beleaguered hospitals of Gaza, surgeries unfold amidst the chaos of bombardment and gunfire, devoid of the solace of anaesthesia. And now there are haunting images of tiny premature babies who have been removed from their incubators because the situation is so dire.
MPs had the chance to put humanity before politics. To say the killing of innocent civilians in Gaza must stop. And it must stop now. MPs who voted against @theSNP calls for an immediate ceasefire are on the wrong side of history. This cannot continue. Humanity must prevail. pic.twitter.com/5iDCfwPcQI
— Humza Yousaf (@HumzaYousaf) November 15, 2023
Yousaf concluded the video with: “This cannot continue. Humanity must prevail. Through collective international pressure, a path to ending this senseless violence can be found. We cannot allow the silent screams of the innocent to go unanswered.
“In the face of such profound sorrow, let all our voices join the rallying cry of human solidarity. Take action; use your voice. 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 a second longer.”
