First Minister and STUC call for ceasefire in Gaza

Almost 1.6 million people have already been displaced

First Minister Humzah Yousaf and Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) have jointly called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and Israel during a bi-annual meeting yesterday.

The meeting was an opportunity for the Scottish Government and STUC to re-iterate solidarity with the Jewish and Muslim communities in Scotland, and commit to working in collaboration to ensure that antisemitism, Islamophobia, or any form of hatred or prejudice has no place in Scotland.

First Minister Humza Yousaf said: “We unequivocally condemn the terrorist atrocities committed by Hamas almost six weeks ago, and call for all hostages to be immediately, unconditionally, and safely released.

“What we are witnessing in Gaza is a humanitarian disaster. More than 11,000 men, woman, and children have lost their lives, and almost 1.6 million have been displaced. The people of Gaza are in desperate need of water, shelter, food, and safety.

“We must stand together and united, join with international organisations and aid agencies like the United Nations and World Health Organisation, and continue to lend Scotland’s voice to the growing international calls for an urgent ceasefire.

“The way forward is clear, and I hope that others across Scotland will add their voices to our calls – which build on Scotland’s proud history of supporting and promoting peace across the world. 

“Working in solidarity with trade unions and others to combat antisemitism, Islamophobia, and all forms of hatred in Scotland is crucial, and I am absolutely committed to sending a clear message that hatred or prejudice directed at any community has no place in our modern Scotland.”

Commenting, STUC General Secretary Roz Foyer: ““The STUC is unequivocal: there must be an immediate ceasefire. We reiterate our utter condemnation of the Hamas attack on innocent Israeli citizens and call for the release of all hostages without delay.

“However, just as there can be no historical justification for such acts, neither is there any justification for the indiscriminate killing of innocents who are subject to terror and barbarism whilst the world looks on.

“We join with the First Minister and the Scottish Government, in addition to the United Nations, the World Health Organisation and international agencies across the world, in demanding a ceasefire and to end the killing of innocent men, women and children within the region.

“Collective punishment is a war crime.  International law must be upheld. Peace must reign. However distant it may seem, a political solution can be found that guarantees peace and statehood for all peoples in Israel and Palestine.”

“Today I visited the Gaza Strip to meet with children, their families and UNICEF staff. What I saw and heard was devastating.

“They have endured repeated bombardment, loss and displacement. Inside the Strip, there is nowhere safe for Gaza’s one million children to turn.”

Read the full statement by UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell on her visit to Gaza: https://uni.cf/40Fliqv