Humza Yousaf: My in-laws are preparing Gaza evidence for International Criminal Court

Humza Yousaf’s in-laws are preparing evidence for the International Criminal Court (ICC) from their time being stuck in Gaza, he has said.

The former first minister’s wife’s parents were trapped in the territory in the wake of the October 7 attacks and caught in Israeli reprisals.

It took almost a month for Elizabeth and Maged El-Nakla to escape.

In that time, Elizabeth made a number of impassioned pleas for peace over social media.

Asked if they had recovered from the trauma, Yousaf said: “I am, but I’m not sure they are, being frankly honest.

“My mother-in-law, in particular, still finds that experience extremely traumatising.”

He added: “The things they saw – of which they’re compiling evidence for the ICC who want eye-witness accounts of what’s happened in Gaza so they’re in the midst doing that – I think will live with them until their dying breath.”

Speaking at an event with broadcaster Matthew Stadlen on the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the former first minister recounted a story they had told him.

“My mother-in-law tells me of hearing a blast nearby, they thought the house had been hit, they went outside and lying in their front garden was an eight-year-old girl with a broken spine.”

Yousaf reiterated his position that the UK Government should ban arms sales to Israel.