Starmer urged to engage with Scotland over Gaza evacuations
But Mr Swinney claims to have received no response from the Prime Minister.
The Prime Minister has not responded to Mr Swinney's calls, the First Minister said (Frank Augstein/PA)
In a statement to the PA news agency, Mr Swinney said: 'It is deeply saddening that so far the UK Government has refused to even enter into a dialogue about medical evacuations for children in Gaza who, without proper medical attention, will be left to die.
'That is the frank reality of life in Gaza under Israeli bombardment and blockade.
'The healthcare system in Gaza is on the brink of total collapse, with surgeons working day and night under artillery fire, with inadequate supplies and often no electricity.
'We know that many hospitals have been targeted and decimated by the IDF (Israel Defence Forces).'
The First Minister added that Scotland is prepared 'to do what is required to save the lives of as many of these kids as we can'.
His initial call came after a meeting with children's charity Unicef, prompting him to declare a 'race against time' to help children in need of urgent medical care.
'But we can't do so without the support of the Labour Government to get the children through the UK visa system and into Scotland,' he said.
'The suffering, torment and killing of the people of Gaza has gone on for far too long.
'I urge the Prime Minister to urgently engage with the Scottish Government on this issue so we can save as many young lives as we can.'
A spokeswoman for the UK Government said: 'Since the start of the conflict, UK support has provided essential healthcare to over 430,000 people in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
'We have helped several children with complex paediatric conditions access privately funded medical care in the UK, supporting an initiative by Project Pure Hope.
'We have been clear the situation in Gaza is intolerable and that there must be an immediate ceasefire.
'We urge Israel to let vital humanitarian aid in and allow Gazans to receive urgent healthcare, including allowing the sick and wounded to temporarily leave the Gaza Strip to receive treatment.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Metro
11 minutes ago
- Metro
More than 50 Palestinians killed as they wait for flour delivery in Gaza Strip
Blood mixed with flour as the dead were wheeled away in carts after gunmen opened fire at hundreds of Palestinians looking for food at an aid point in the Gaza Strip. The Israeli Defence Forces, who control the Zikim Crossing distribution point, admitted firing shots when their soldiers felt 'threatened'. Hours later, more than 48 were dead with hundreds more injured at the main entry point for humanitarian aid to northern Gaza, according to a local hospital. Hamas claimed the shooting lasted, three hours as thousands were funnelled towards the trucks delivering vital aid. Graphic photos show bodies being ferried away from the scene of the shooting in wooden carts, which people expected to pick up supplies with, as well as crowds of people carrying bags of flour. The Palestinian NGOs Network (PNGO) say Israeli military have turned these humanitarian points into 'killing grounds, deliberately targeting civilians in their most vulnerable state'. The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) said their investigation found their soldiers carried out warning shots in the air, shots that were not directed at the crowd, after they felt threatened. They claimed there were no casualties directly from IDF gunfire. One IDF security official said: 'From an initial investigation, it appears that during the gathering, sounds of gunfire were heard from within the crowd and internal friction among Gazans within the gathering, in addition to several cases of people being run over by the aid trucks.' In a statement, the IDF said: 'We place utmost importance on the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip and work to enable and facilitate the transfer of aid in coordination with the international community, and certainly do not intentionally act against humanitarian aid trucks.' The deaths came the day after Sir Keir Starmer said the UK would recognise the Palestinian state if 'substantive steps' were not taken by the Israeli government to the anger of Benjamin Netanyahu. Under a suffocating Israeli blockade, food, fuel and humanitarian aid have become luxuries for Palestinians. A breakdown of law and order has seen aid convoys overwhelmed by desperate, famine-ridden people with Gaza becoming the most expensive place to eat in the world. What little food remains has been pushed to black-market extremities, as shown by prices shared with Metro by Christian Aid workers on the ground. A 25kg sack of flour is now more expensive than a Michelin-star dinner in Paris, costing as much as £414, compared to £8.80 before the start of the war. Al-Saraya Field Hospital, where critical cases are stabilised before transfer to main hospitals, said it received more than 100 dead and wounded. Fares Awad, head of the Gaza Health Ministry's emergency service, said some bodies were taken to other hospitals, indicating the toll could rise. Israeli strikes and gunfire had earlier killed at least 46 Palestinians overnight and into Wednesday, most of them among crowds seeking food, health officials said. Another seven Palestinians, including a child, died of malnutrition-related causes, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Under heavy international pressure, Israel announced a series of measures over the weekend to facilitate the entry of more international aid to Gaza, but aid workers say much more is needed. COGAT, the Israeli military body that facilitates the entry of aid, said more than 220 trucks entered Gaza on Tuesday. That is far below the 500-600 trucks a day that UN agencies say are needed, and which entered during a six-week ceasefire earlier this year. More than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire while seeking aid since May, most near sites run by the GHF, according to witnesses, local health officials and the UN human rights office. International airdrops of aid have also resumed, but many of the parcels have landed in areas that Palestinians have been told to evacuate while others have plunged into the Mediterranean Sea, forcing people to swim out to retrieve drenched bags of flour. Israel denies there is any starvation in Gaza, rejecting accounts to the contrary from witnesses, UN agencies and aid groups, and says the focus on hunger undermines ceasefire efforts. More Trending Hamas started the war with its attack on southern Israel on October 7 2023, in which militants killed around 1,200 people and abducted 251 others. They still hold 50 hostages, including around 20 believed to be alive. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed more than 60,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Its count does not distinguish between militants and civilians. The ministry operates under the Hamas government. The UN and other international organisations see it as the most reliable source of data on casualties. MORE: Recognising Palestine is not rewarding Hamas – and it shouldn't come with strings MORE: What's stopping Keir Starmer from recognising Palestine as a state? MORE: I offered to trade my £600 camera – all for a bag of flour
Leader Live
41 minutes ago
- Leader Live
Dozens killed while seeking aid at Gaza crossing as US envoy heads to Israel
The latest violence around aid distribution came as the US Middle East envoy was heading to Israel for talks. Israel's ongoing military offensive and blockade have led to the 'worst-case scenario of famine' in the coastal territory of some two million Palestinians, according to the leading international authority on hunger crises. A breakdown of law and order has seen aid convoys overwhelmed by desperate crowds. US envoy Steve Witkoff, who has led the Trump administration's efforts to wind down the nearly 22-month war and release hostages taken in the Hamas attack that sparked the fighting, will arrive in Israel on Thursday for talks on the situation in Gaza. Shifa Hospital in Gaza City said the dead and wounded were among crowds massed at the Zikim Crossing, the main entry point for humanitarian aid to northern Gaza. It was not immediately clear who opened fire and there was no immediate comment from the Israeli military, which controls the crossing. Associated Press footage showed bodies being ferried away from the scene of the shooting in ambulances and wooden carts, as well as crowds of people carrying bags of flour. Al-Saraya Field Hospital, where critical cases are stabilised before transfer to main hospitals, said it received more than 100 dead and wounded. Fares Awad, head of the Gaza Health Ministry's emergency service, said some bodies were taken to other hospitals, indicating the toll could rise. Israeli strikes and gunfire had earlier killed at least 46 Palestinians overnight and into Wednesday, most of them among crowds seeking food, health officials said. Another seven Palestinians, including a child, died of malnutrition-related causes, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. The Israeli military did not immediately comment on any of the strikes. It says it only targets militants and blames civilian deaths on Hamas, because the group's militants operate in densely populated areas. Under heavy international pressure, Israel announced a series of measures over the weekend to facilitate the entry of more international aid to Gaza, but aid workers say much more is needed. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), the leading world authority on hunger crises, has stopped short of declaring famine in Gaza but said on Tuesday that the situation has dramatically worsened and warned of 'widespread death' without immediate action. COGAT, the Israeli military body that facilitates the entry of aid, said more than 220 trucks entered Gaza on Tuesday. That is far below the 500-600 trucks a day that UN agencies say are needed, and which entered during a six-week ceasefire earlier this year. The United Nations is still struggling to deliver the aid that does enter the strip, with most trucks unloaded by crowds in zones controlled by the Israeli military. An alternative aid system run by the Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) has also been marred by violence. More than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire while seeking aid since May, most near sites run by the GHF, according to witnesses, local health officials and the UN human rights office. The Israeli military says it has only fired warning shots at people who approach its forces, and the GHF says its armed contractors have only used pepper spray or fired warning shots to prevent deadly crowding. International airdrops of aid have also resumed, but many of the parcels have landed in areas that Palestinians have been told to evacuate while others have plunged into the Mediterranean Sea, forcing people to swim out to retrieve drenched bags of flour. A total of 89 children have died of malnutrition since the war began in Gaza. The ministry said that 65 Palestinian adults have also died of malnutrition-related causes across Gaza since late June, when it started counting deaths among adults. Israel denies there is any starvation in Gaza, rejecting accounts to the contrary from witnesses, UN agencies and aid groups, and says the focus on hunger undermines ceasefire efforts. Hamas started the war with its attack on southern Israel on October 7 2023, in which militants killed around 1,200 people and abducted 251 others. They still hold 50 hostages, including around 20 believed to be alive. Most of the rest of the hostages were released in ceasefires or other deals. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed more than 60,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Its count does not distinguish between militants and civilians. The ministry operates under the Hamas government. The UN and other international organisations see it as the most reliable source of data on casualties.
ITV News
41 minutes ago
- ITV News
At least 48 Palestinians killed waiting for food in Gaza as death toll from hunger rises
At least 48 Palestinians were killed and dozens wounded on Wednesday, while waiting for food at a crossing in the Gaza Strip , according to a local hospital that received the casualties. Shifa Hospital in Gaza City said the dead and wounded were among crowds massed at the Zikim Crossing, the main entry point for humanitarian aid to northern Gaza. It was not immediately clear who opened fire and there was no immediate comment from the Israeli military, which controls the crossing. Another seven Palestinians, including a child, died of malnutrition-related causes, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Israel has come under mounting international pressure in recent days over its ongoing military offensive and blockade. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, or IPC, the leading world authority on hunger crises, has stopped short of declaring famine in Gaza but said on Tuesday that the situation has dramatically worsened and warned of "widespread death" without immediate action. The latest violence around aid distribution came as the US Mideast envoy was heading to Israel for talks. US envoy Steve Witkoff, who has led the Trump administration's efforts to wind down the nearly 22-month war and release hostages taken in Hamas' Oct. 7 attack that sparked the conflict, will arrive in Israel on Thursday for talks on the situation in Gaza. The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the latest strikes. It says it only targets militants and blames civilian deaths on Hamas, because the group's militants operate in densely populated areas.
