‘Israeli tank fire' kills three sheltering in Gaza Catholic Church
Israel said it is investigating the incident.
A warning, this report contains some images that viewers may find distressing.
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The National
2 hours ago
- The National
'Israel killed my brother. Now my No Thanks app has 11 million users'
Ibrahim, a Turkish citizen, after having left Gaza in 2008, had returned to the strip for what was supposed to be a short visit to help out their sister Munira. He never left. 'He was drinking tea on the balcony, and they just bombed an entire square,' Ahmed said. 'I know it in Arabic, what it's called, but it's like a multiple airstrike in a specific area. That's what they do. 'And those bombs murdered around 25 people. Between them, my brother.' It was not the first time Ahmed had lost a loved one; he holds Israel responsible for the death of his sister Basma in 2020. She had fallen ill in Gaza, and needed to be transferred to a hospital in Jerusalem in order to receive the appropriate treatment. But the Israeli authorities did not grant permission for the transfer for more than a month. READ MORE: 'I spent 16 months in Gaza amid Israel's genocide. Here's what I saw' 'My father did everything he could, but they didn't let her go,' Ahmed said. When the papers finally arrived, it was too late. Basma died in the ambulance on her way to the hospital." 'I couldn't handle it in the beginning,' Ahmed said, adding that – as with the death of other loved ones, which has become all too common for people in Gaza – the family had tried to do charitable works in Basma's honour after her passing. Then, after Ibrahim's death, Ahmed said he was 'lost'. 'I started to think about a way to do some charity work for him too.' And then came inspiration. On one trip to the supermarket, Ahmed said he got to thinking about how he could be sure to be avoiding Israeli goods – or goods from firms connected with Israel. 'I looked into a few products and I started to think like, 'oh, is this product on the boycott list or not? Should I start googling them? Should I start searching, do this and this?' 'And then I got the idea: I really wish there was a way just to scan the barcode and [it's] done. Here is the answer. Is it in the boycott or not? So that was the core of the idea.' Two weeks later, Ahmed had created the first version of his app No Thanks, which allows users to scan products' barcodes to learn if the company has links to Israel. Less than two years on, it now has more than 11.5 million users. But the success came with drawbacks in his own life. READ MORE: I'm an Israeli trying to help in Gaza. Now our bank account is at risk Living in Budapest after moving to Hungary on a scholarship in 2018, Ahmed – who is now 26 – was undertaking an internship at a major tech firm when he was called into a meeting. 'They told me: 'Sorry, No Thanks made a lot of noise and we'll have to cancel the contract immediately'. 'They even told me that the CEO of [the firm] had a meeting with the CEO of [another major firm] and they both actually had talked about me,' he added. The Israeli boycott movement has proven controversial internationally, with anti-BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) laws in countries such as Germany and the US. READ MORE: Co-op members vote to remove all Israeli products from shelves Ahmed questioned how supposedly free-market societies could try to prevent people from making free choices with their custom – and raised concerns that any business operating out of Israel would pay taxes that go 'to the IDF and supporting killing innocent people'. 'We are now fighting ideology,' he said. 'They want to kill all of the Palestinians, and we are trying to stop that. 'I say it loud and clear, it is a genocide. It is a massacre, a huge massacre happening in Gaza. 'And after that, these countries are coming to blame me for just making an app.' Amid all the peace talks and international deals, one question remains: where is Gaza in all of this? Don't the people of Gaza deserve peace after more than 600 days of genocide? Don't they deserve even the most basic human rights? If world leaders won't act, then we – as… — Ahmed Bashbash (@AhmedBashbash) June 24, 2025 'The boycotts should be our new lifestyle,' Ahmed went on. 'We should stop supporting the people who are actually just looking for wars, looking for destruction, looking for displacing people. 'And if these companies and brands, whoever, don't actually come to our requirement, then we are simply not going to be your customer. That's it.' The runaway success of the app – 11.5 million downloads is twice the population of Palestine, Ahmed notes – has seen a steady income brought in. However, all of it goes on either supporting the servers required for the app to run, or supporting people in [[Gaza]] directly. But with Israel controlling the flow of goods into the strip, it is getting more and more difficult. 'Prices right now in Gaza, inflation will be an easy word for it,' he said. 'A bag of flour will cost you $600 to $700, just for a bag. 'If I wanted to compare it to last year, when I used to buy tents for people … in a week, we used to give 10 to 20 tents. Now, I cannot afford one tent in an entire week. It's too expensive in Gaza right now.' READ MORE: The key points not being talked about in BBC Gaza documentary review Ahmed still has family in Gaza; though his sister Munira managed to escape to Egypt, his brother Hussian remains. But when he has contact with his brother, Ahmed no longer recognises where they grew up. 'It is now all sand or rubble,' Ahmed said of his birthplace in Gaza City. 'When he [Hussian] sent me a picture, I couldn't actually recognise which area it was – even though I lived there for 19 years. 'I actually played on the street every day, every single day till I couldn't see the ball anymore – we didn't have electricity there, so we used to play in the light of the sun. 'When you see it now, you don't see a place of humanity. You see just a bunch of rubble from a zombie movie or something.' A view of Gaza City after Israel's offensive (Image: DAWOUD ABU ALKAS, REUTERS) For Ahmed, his No Thanks app is 'my peaceful way to protest against what's happening in my country and what happened with my family, brother and sister that I lost'. The app is developed by Ahmed's software firm BashSquare – which he explained came from a quip on his name. 'Bashbash. That's my family name actually,' he said. 'It's kind of a joke that my name is Ahmed Bashbash. 'My math teacher in 9th grade used to make fun of me and call me BashSquared – in Arabic, of course. 'He was my best teacher, so I actually took this nickname that he gave me. In Arabic, Bashbash comes from the word called bashasha, which is the smile.' That smile remains on Ahmed's face, enduring through the shadows of airstrikes, exile, and loss. You can download the No Thanks app for Android and iOS on the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store.
The National
2 hours ago
- The National
Angus Robertson's secret Israel meeting minutes revealed
ON a warm summer's night last August, John Swinney took to the stage at the Edinburgh International Book Festival for a fireside chat with former Welsh first minister Mark Drakeford. Two of the most seasoned veterans of the devolution era, Swinney and Drakeford talked of the importance of 'collaborative' politics. Then a piercing cry rang through the auditorium. 'Your party is mingling with genocidal deputy ambassadors,' a young woman shouted. The event was swiftly ended, and the protester hustled out. She might well have been disappointed to see the First Minister on stage. Until days before, the man whom she accused of 'mingling' with the Israeli government, Angus Robertson, had been due to appear instead. The photograph of Robertson with the beaming Daniela Grudsky, Israel's deputy ambassador to the UK, had that month rocked the Scottish Government and created a schism within the SNP. READ MORE: 'Time to take action': What it was like at the national Palestine demo in Edinburgh Robertson faced loud calls to quit his role as the Cabinet Secretary for External Affairs. Critics argued the meeting was a 'breach of trust' when Israel stood accused of grave breaches of international law in Gaza, and with its prime minister then under investigation by the International Criminal Court (ICC). Israel denies claims it is committing war crimes or perpetrating genocide in Gaza, and rejects the jurisdiction of the ICC, which issued an arrest warrant for Benjamin Netanyahu on war crimes charges in November 2024. A year on, despite the intense furore around the meeting, the public still knows little on how it came about or what was discussed. Now The Ferret can shed new light on the affair, revealing details of previously withheld internal emails, WhatsApp chats and partial minutes of the meeting. They show ministers, advisers and officials across Swinney's government were entangled. And we can reveal that while publicly stating that the 'UK is in danger of being complicit in killing innocent civilians', behind the scenes, the Scottish Government tried to set up an earlier meeting with Swinney and the ambassador and was talking itself up as a 'critical friend' of Israel. In response to this story, Robertson told The Ferret that under the 'abhorrent circumstances' Gazans face 'at the hands of the Israeli government', the Scottish Government is 'unequivocal that it would not be appropriate to meet with the Israeli government' until 'real progress has been made towards peace'. Our findings come after a 10-month freedom of information (FoI) battle, which involved challenges to the Scottish Information Commissioner and claims from the Scottish Government that releasing details of the meeting could damage UK-Israeli relations and even be seen as 'antisemitic'. Swinney 'actively sought a meeting' with Israeli ambassador On May 8, 2024, John Swinney took office as Scotland's First Minister. For his predecessor, Humza Yousaf, the Palestinian cause had been close to home – his own parents-in-law had been visiting relatives in Gaza when the Israeli bombardment began in the wake of the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, which killed about 1200 people. More than 250 hostages were also taken. Swinney quickly faced criticism over a perceived lack of action on the issue. The Scottish Greens called on the new First Minister 'to demonstrate that Scotland's solidarity with the people of Palestine extends to action, not just words' and, in response, the Government reiterated Yousaf's call for a ceasefire and for the UK Government to ban arms exports to Israel. Swinney followed up with a tweet on May 27, stating that the 'humanitarian catastrophe' in Gaza was 'one of the greatest moral issues of our time'. But secret emails show that just a week later, on June 3, a Scottish Government official emailed the Israeli Embassy, looking to speak to 'someone urgently to make arrangements' for a meeting between Swinney and Israeli ambassador Tzipi Hotovely (below), while she was in Scotland. The embassy's Israel-Scotland affairs officer advised this visit was no longer going ahead because of 'sudden security threats', but that the ambassador was 'eager to meet with the First Minister virtually'. Later that day, the embassy emailed a 'list of attendees' for a meeting which included Hotovely, the embassy's head of civil society Hodaya Avzada, and the Israel Scotland affairs officer. Some other names are redacted. Asked about these exchanges, the Scottish Government said the meeting referenced in the 'list of attendees' did not go ahead and no meetings with representatives of the Israeli government took place before August 8. But Scottish Labour MSP Mercedes Villalba argued this was evidence Swinney's government had 'actively sought a meeting with a representative of a state whose prime minister is now wanted by the ICC for crimes against humanity'. On July 30, a Scottish Government official's phone pinged with a WhatsApp message from embassy official Avzada. 'Hope you're well?' she asked. 'We should get back to you today re DCM [deputy chief of mission] visit,' the official replied. 'Apols for delay.' Discussions had progressed, and a trip to Scotland was being arranged for the deputy ambassador – or DCM – Daniela Grudsky. 'It is next week and the schedule is filling,' Avzada said. Less than two hours later, an official emailed Angus Robertson, copying in Swinney, recommending that he meet with Grudsky – and warning of 'sensitivities' over the Gaza war. Azvada asked via WhatsApp if there was 'any chance we could meet' Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes as well, but was told: 'FM isn't available, so Mr Robertson is the right interlocutor.' 'Transparency takes up so much time' As soon as the meeting was firmed up for August 8, discussions turned to communications management. 'We'd normally issue a short statement for transparency's sake,' the Scottish Government official told Avzada. 'But let me know if you have any security considerations, esp around timing.' It was agreed there would be no announcement of the meeting until the Monday following, August 12. Avzada made sure to double-check that the embassy could issue the tweet that would ultimately ignite the whole controversy, and was told: 'Yeah that's fine.' READ MORE: 55 arrested in Westminster as protests grow over Palestine Action ban The Scottish official then told Avzada: 'You'll be aware we are usually inundated with freedom of information requests. Practically every meeting our ministers have is FOI'd. We redact sensitive information, but the bar is high, and we have to justify it. The FOIs are usually inspired by comms but if we don't issue something, we're criticised for being secretive!' The official added: 'Transparency is obviously a good thing, but it takes up such a lot of our time.' In her official response, Avzada said the embassy did 'not consent' to the release of information about meetings, 'in order to allow the fruitful and open discourse between Israel and the United Kingdom'. This would later be echoed, almost word for word, by the Scottish Government in its reasoning for denying The Ferret's FOI requests. Subsequent emails show that the Scottish Government provided further updates on FOI requests to the Israeli Embassy after the meeting, which reiterated its position that no information should be released. Amnesty International told The Ferret that it appeared the Scottish Government already had 'one eye' on the challenges that requests for transparency would create for them, even before the meeting took place. Meanwhile, Talat Yaqoob, an equality campaigner and researcher who has worked in the Scottish Parliament, said it was 'extraordinary that a foreign government would get any say over what the Scottish public is permitted to know about the work of its own elected officials'. 'Freedom of information law exists to enable accountability – it is not something to attempt to circumvent or over-complicate,' she added. The Scottish Government said it had complied fully with the Scottish Information Commissioner and pointed out that information can be withheld under freedom of information law if it could substantially prejudice relations between the UK and another country. 'Critical friends'? After public anger had erupted around the meeting, Swinney tweeted on August 14 that it had been 'accepted on the basis it would provide an opportunity to convey our consistent position on the killing and suffering of innocent civilians in the region'. But the Scottish Government had already put out a statement saying that the attendees had also discussed 'areas of mutual interest, including culture, renewable energy, and engaging the country's respective diasporas'. In the redacted minutes released to The Ferret, much of the section on 'Israel/Scotland relations' is blacked out. But the minutes do state: 'The Scottish Government's position remained that the Palestinian people had the right to self-determination and that a secure Israel should be able to live in peace and security. There was value in dialogue between Scotland and Israel as critical friends.' While Swinney publicly referenced the 'killing and suffering of civilians', the minutes suggest that Robertson adopted a more reserved tone with Grudsky, noting that 'every effort must be taken to reduce civilian casualties'. MSP Villalba claimed the minutes showed the Scottish Government's private attitude to Israel was 'quite different' to its public stance. She added that her constituents were organising weekly protests against what they see as UK complicity in the war in Gaza. They would be asking whether Robertson still believed Scotland could be 'critical friends' with a country currently facing genocide allegations at the International Court of Justice, Villalba claimed. In a 'profound apology' issued to delegates at the SNP conference on September 1, after heavy criticism from within the party, Robertson said one of the Government's priorities for the meeting was to express its support for an 'end of UK arms being sent to Israel'. But there is no mention of this in the minutes released. Yaqoob said it was a failure of leadership that arms sales do not appear to have been addressed. She said the apparent omission was a 'dereliction of duty' given the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The aftermath At 2.37pm on August 12, the Scottish Government posted about the meeting on its international division's Twitter/X account. Barely anyone noticed – perhaps unsurprising, given the account only has 4500 followers. At 5.36pm, Grudsky posted her own now infamous tweet, complete with the picture of the pair by an art deco fireplace in St Andrew's House. She said they had discussed 'the unique commonalities between' Scotland and Israel and 'emphasised the urgent need to bring back our 115 hostages'. There was no mention of a ceasefire call. 'Looking forward to co-operating in the fields of technology, culture and renewable energy,' Grudsky added. Over the next few days, dissent began to bubble in the SNP ranks. Backbench MSPs Kevin Stewart, Christine Grahame and Emma Roddick all put their heads above the parapet. On August 14, Swinney issued his statement on Twitter/X, but Robertson himself laid low. A Scottish Government official emailed the Edinburgh Book Festival to give 'a quick heads up that FM will now be attending' the event with Drakeford – instead of Robertson. On the morning of Monday, August 19 – with the 'ongoing public controversy' having continued to rage over the weekend – Swinney called Robertson in for a meeting. 'They discussed the history of the issue and noted the public remarks of MSPs, MPs and commentators,' records released to The Ferret reveal. 'They reflected on the need to address the concerns raised by the meeting around the Scottish Government's position on the relationship with the Israeli government. In particular, they noted the need to be more clear that the Scottish Government did not believe that 'normal' relations with the Israeli government were currently possible given the events in Gaza and the position of the ICC.' They also agreed it was time for Robertson to break his silence – and issue his original apology. This was circulated among officials and redrafted by international relations deputy director John Primrose, and Swinney's special adviser, Jack Middleton. In the wake of the controversy, the Government ruled out further meetings with Israeli diplomats until progress has been made in Gaza peace talks. But arms firms supplying Israel continue to receive subsidies from the Scottish Government. It is only thanks to repeated FOI requests from The Ferret and other media outlets that this information has entered the public domain. And there are details of the meeting between Grudsky and Robertson, which remain hidden from public view, including the discussions they held about the other topics which are redacted in the minutes released. 'It is squarely in the public interest to have absolute clarity on whether the cabinet secretary presented a strong challenge to the deputy ambassador over war crimes and violations of international law in Gaza when they met,' said Amnesty's Liz Thomson. 'Just months before that meeting took place, Amnesty asked Robertson for a clear framework on how human rights considerations inform international engagement and raised concerns that the Scottish Government's action wasn't matching its rhetoric. Such guidance is clearly needed to inform all external affairs activity.' Labour's Villalba was more direct. 'We need answers – and we need them now,' she said. READ MORE: RECAP: Activists defy Labour with illegal pro-Palestine T-shirts at Edinburgh demo In a statement provided to The Ferret, Robertson, said: 'Close to 60,000 people have been killed in Gaza [some estimates say the death toll is higher] – many more are now being left to starve at the hands of the Israeli government. 'Civilians who queue to access what little humanitarian aid is permitted to enter Gaza are frequently shot at and killed by Israeli Defence Forces. 'The rhetoric of Israeli politicians has become increasingly extreme in recent months. 'Under such abhorrent circumstances, the Scottish Government is unequivocal that it would not be appropriate to meet with the Israeli government. 'This will remain our position until real progress has been made towards peace and Israel co-operates fully with its international obligations on the investigation of genocide and war crimes.' At the Book Festival that night, Swinney said that devolution had 'strengthened the self-confidence of Scotland'. Over two decades of self-government, Scotland has become more visible on the international stage. But to critics, the Robertson affair has exposed serious gaps in transparency and accountability about how – and with whom – Scotland does diplomacy. The Embassy of Israel in London did not respond to requests for a comment.
The National
2 hours ago
- The National
I was at the national Palestine protest in Edinburgh and saw hope
This protest came at a time when activists across the UK calling out the genocide in Gaza are having to censor their own language, clothing, and signs, or risk arrest. "What about my watermelon earrings?" one activist asked me when I arrived. Another pointed to their socks that were in support of Palestine. According to campaign group Defend Our Juries, more than 150 arrests have been made at demonstrations across the UK. READ MORE: RECAP: Activists defy Labour with illegal pro-Palestine T-shirts in Edinburgh In Scotland, Sean Clerkin, 64, was arrested and has been charged under the Terrorism Act, after he displayed a placard stating "Genocide in Palestine, Time to Take Action". A 55-year-old man was also charged in Glasgow last week under suspicion of terror offences for wearing a T-shirt allegedly showing support for Palestine Action. Both of those actions took place in Edinburgh on Saturday, but no arrests were made despite police in attendance at two different protests. 'We are not here to support Palestine Action, we are here against genocide', Mick Napier, from the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign, told the crowd outside St Giles who were embarking on their route to first the UK Government offices at Queen Elizabeth House, and then to Bute House, the official residence of the first minister of Scotland. "Genocide in Palestine, Time to Take Action" was chanted several times throughout the day. Protesters held banners which read "we will not be silenced" and "[[UK Government]] is corrupt". Journalist Lesley Riddoch, former SNP MP Tommy Sheppard, Alba leader Kenny MacAskill, and leaders from the Gaza Genocide Emergency Committee (GGEC) led the march. Outside the [[UK Government]] offices, Sheppard called for his colleagues in the Scottish Government to "think again" about Scottish Enterprise funding going to Israeli-linked arms companies. Sheppard said: "To my colleagues in the Scottish Government, it is time to think again about the fact that Scottish Enterprise has a relationship with these [arms manufacturing] companies. "That needs to be ended. It cannot be justified by saying, 'oh, none of the money goes to produce arms, it's a completely different part of the company, nothing to do with arms exports'. "Do you remember in the 1970s and 1980s when we fought against apartheid and we campaigned to boycott Barclays? No one said 'let's boycott Barclays but make an exemption when they're funding community projects locally'. Tommy Sheppard (Image: Laura Pollock) "No, the whole point of boycotting and taking action against the company is to make sure that they understand that their actions in one part of the world have consequences for everything else they do elsewhere. "That is that is how we apply leverage and that is what we must do as well." He later told me the shift in Israel's assault with their plans for a concentration camp in Gaza is the key reason the stance by the Scottish Government must reviewed. READ MORE: Garbage join growing artist coalition against pro-Palestine censorship "They [the Scottish Government] have to stop being scared when the other side are trying to demonise us and trying to make us worry that we're going to arrested for turning up," Sheppard said. Riddoch took to the microphone next and was visibly emotional when sharing her anger at arrests made following the proscription of Palestine Action. "We can remember situations in the past like this and thought this would never happen again, when people are wondering if the police will arrest someone for wearing a t-shirt," she said. "So the point is, as everybody here has said, this is a genocide, as everyone is saying here together, Palestine needs action and we will all go together on that one." Lesley Riddoch (Image: Laura Pollock) She later spoke directly to officers in the crowd, adding: "Now I'm appealing to the police. I know it's tough. You are moral citizens as well. "Do we look like terrorists?" Later, MacAskill spoke outside Bute House: "Many countries have had the courage that the UK are only going to face in terms of a conviction at The Hague in some day to come. "Take a bow South Africa, Spain, Ireland." He continued: "We do wish to see the hostages returned, but it's nothing to do with them. Kenny MacAskill (Image: Laura Pollock) "Netanyahu's war is about the obliteration of Gaza and the colonization of Palestine and the removal of its people. "That's what it is. That's why we have to speak out." Doha Abu Amer, a Palestinian woman who has family in Gaza, Colin Brown from the Fire Brigades Union Scotland, and Billy Hendry, an ex-Royal Marine, all spoke as well. There were several chants calling out both Keir Starmer and John Swinney, telling them "you can't hide" - many by children. "She is driving a lot of things," one of the mothers told me of her 11-year-old daughter, "even at school, she was trying to do a bake sale for Palestine. I have to catch up with what she is wanting to do. Our kids today are so aware of what is going on. "You cannot push children to do something if they don't believe in it in their hearts." When activists put on t-shirts that others have been arrested for, the crowd cheered and I looked towards Police Scotland officers in the crowd. One liaison officer took a picture of them, and the pair spoke to each other, but no action was taken. "Strength in numbers?" Riddoch later questioned on social media after everyone made it home. READ MORE: Uniformed police pulled from Glasgow Pride over 'impartiality' concerns Deputy assistant commissioner Ade Adelekan, who leads the policing operation in Westminster where more than 100 activists have been arrested over the last two weeks, warned on Friday that those expressing support for Palestine Action 'will likely be committing an offence and will very likely be arrested'. He added: 'I would urge those people to consider the seriousness of being arrested under the Terrorism Act and the very real long-term implications – from travel, to employment, to finances – that such an arrest is likely to have for their future.' After the march, Riddoch told me: "A lot of people in my family were saying 'if you get lifted for a terrorism charge, you'll never be able to go anywhere with your passport again'. "This is the kind of stuff they're doing to just drive complete fear of saying: this is a genocide." In Scotland on Saturday, there was no fear. Only action, and hope.
