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Scotland’s first minister has said “collective punishment has to be condemned” after speaking of how his mother-in-law is “trapped” in Gaza.

Humza Yousaf said Elizabeth El Nakla – the mother of Mr Yousaf’s wife Nadia – is in “complete distress”. She visited Gaza last week with her husband Maged, when Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel at the weekend.

But the pair have since been “trapped” following the subsequent reprisals.

Israel has warned Palestinians to move to the southern part of the Gaza Strip ahead of an anticipated ground offensive, although Hamas has asked them to stay put and ignore the Israeli order to evacuate.

War latest: Israel tells 1.1m Palestinians to move south

“Israel has a right to protect itself from terror, but that cannot be at the price of innocent men, women and children who have nothing to do with those attacks,” Mr Yousaf told Sky’s Beth Rigby.

“That collective punishment has to be condemned.”

Beth Rigby analysis: Yousaf feels powerless… and he’s angry

Speaking from Deir Al Balah, south of Gaza City, in a video posted by Mr Yousaf to X, formerly Twitter, Ms El Nakla said: “This will be my last video.

“Everybody from Gaza is moving towards where we are.

“One million people, no food, no water – and still they’re bombing them as they leave.

“Where are we going to put them?” asked the retired nurse from Dundee.

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Humza Yousaf’s mother-in-law ‘trapped’ in Gaza

The region subject to the Israeli warning includes Gaza’s biggest hospital, which Human Rights Watch has said is dealing with more than 6,000 casualties, and two major refugee camps.

“But my thought is – all these people in the hospital cannot be evacuated,” she continued.

“Where is humanity? Where’s people’s hearts in the world, to let this happen in this day and age?

“May God help us, goodbye.”

First Minister of Scotland Humza Yousaf, at Bute House in Edinburgh, ahead of the SNP National Conference
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First Minister of Scotland Humza Yousaf

In a post alongside the video, Mr Yousaf said: “This is Elizabeth El Nakla. She is my mother-in-law. A retired nurse from Dundee, Scotland.

“She, like the vast majority of people in Gaza, has nothing to do with Hamas.

“She has been told to leave Gaza but, like the rest of the population, is trapped with nowhere to go.”

Among the first to comment on the post was former first minister Nicola Sturgeon, who wrote: “My heart breaks for the people of Israel and for all the innocent civilians in Gaza who are also paying the price of Hamas’s appalling acts of terror.

“Closer to home, my thoughts are with my friends Nadia and Humza and their family, and also with Scotland’s precious Jewish community, at this unimaginably awful time.”

Read more:
Britons ‘highly likely’ among hostages held by Hamas
UK sending navy ships and spy planes ‘to support’ Israel

The UN has described the Israeli military order as “devastating” and said it is impossible for such a movement of people to take place “without devastating humanitarian consequences”.

Israel has vowed to annihilate the militant faction of Hamas which led Saturday’s attacks and kidnappings in Israel.

Hamas tunnels, military compounds, senior operatives’ residences and weapons storage warehouses were among 750 military targets struck overnight, Israeli authorities said.

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A much-talked-about ground invasion of the narrow and densely populated Gaza Strip, home to 2.3 million people, poses serious risks, with Hamas threatening to kill its hostages.

Since the Israeli evacuation call, there have been no signs of people leaving Gaza City.

Mr Yousaf urged the international community to “step up”.

“Enough. There can be no justification for the death of innocent men, women & children,” he wrote on X.

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Woman arrested on suspicion of murder after death of two children in Stafford

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Woman arrested on suspicion of murder after death of two children in Stafford

A 43-year-old woman has been arrested on suspicion of murder after the death of two children in Stafford.

Police were called to a home on Corporation Street at around 7.30am on Sunday by West Midlands Ambulance Service.

Two children were pronounced dead at the scene, Staffordshire Police said.

Detective Inspector Kirsty Oldfield said: “We are working hard to understand more about what happened leading up to these two children tragically losing their lives.

“We ask that people do not speculate at this stage as it is distressing for family and friends and could hinder our inquiries.

“We understand that this incident may cause concern in the local community. We don’t believe there is wider threat to the public at this time.”

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The 43-year-old woman, who is from the Stafford area, remains in custody.

The force has not confirmed the ages of the two children. Their next of kin have been informed and are being supported by specially-trained officers, police said.

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Man charged with stalking after allegedly targeting Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey and his family

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Man charged with stalking after allegedly targeting Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey and his family

A man has been charged with stalking and possession of a flick knife after allegedly targeting Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey and his family.

Inigo Rowland, 58, of Surbiton, south London, was arrested last Monday, but it was only made public on Sunday.

He appeared at Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday and was remanded in custody, the Met Police said.

The offences are alleged to have taken place between June and October.

Sir Ed, the MP for Kingston and Surbiton, lives in southwest London with his wife, Emily, their 17-year-old son John, and his younger sister Ellie.

A spokesperson for the Met Police said: “Inigo Rowland, 58, of Surbiton has been charged with stalking and possession of a flick knife.

“He appeared at Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, 7 October and was remanded into custody. He will next appear at the same court on Tuesday, 14 October.

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“He was arrested on Monday, 6 October in relation to the offences, which are alleged to have taken place between June and October.”

A Lib Dem spokesperson said: “We cannot provide any details at this time, Ed’s number one priority is the safety of his family.”

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Paedophile Lostprophets singer Ian Watkins dies after attack in prison

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Paedophile Lostprophets singer Ian Watkins dies after attack in prison

Paedophile Lostprophets singer Ian Watkins has died after being attacked in prison.

Watkins, 48, was serving a 29-year jail term for multiple sexual offences, including serious crimes against young children and babies at HMP Wakefield, in West Yorkshire.

He was attacked with a knife by another inmate on Saturday morning, sources have confirmed.

West Yorkshire Police said two men, aged 25 and 43, have been arrested on suspicion of murder.

A police van outside Wakefield prison. Pic: YappApp
Image:
A police van outside Wakefield prison. Pic: YappApp

Watkins was pronounced dead at the scene after prison staff reported the assault to police.

The prison went into lockdown in the immediate aftermath of the incident, sources added.

A Prison Service spokesperson said they could not comment while the police investigate.

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Watkins was previously stabbed in an incident at the same prison in 2023, suffering non life-threatening injuries after he was reportedly taken hostage by three other inmates before being freed by prison officers six hours later.

He was sentenced in December 2013 to 29 years in prison, with a further six years on licence, after admitting 13 sex offences, including the attempted rape of a fan’s baby.

Watkins performing in 2004. Pic: PA
Image:
Watkins performing in 2004. Pic: PA

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He also encouraged a second fan to abuse her child during a webcam chat and secretly stashed child sexual abuse videos, some of which he had made himself.

At the time, police described him as a “committed, organised paedophile”.

Having found fame in Welsh rock band Lostprophets, Watkins was arrested after his Pontypridd home was searched on orders of a drug warrant in September 2012.

A large number of computers, mobile phones and storage devices were seized during the search.

When sentenced at Cardiff Crown Court, the singer was told he was being given an extended sentence – and a judge said his crimes “plumbed new depths of depravity”.

After being caught with a mobile phone behind bars in 2019, he told a court that he was locked up with “murderers, mass murderers, rapists, paedophiles, serial killers – the worst of the worst”.

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