Scottish Government 'doing all it can' to ensure safety of Scots detained by Israel

John Swinney has said the Scottish Government is doing “all it can” to ensure the safety of four Scots detained by Israel.

Israeli forces intercepted the the Global Sumud Flotilla carrying humanitarian aid towards Gaza on Wednesday.

Glasgow man Sid Khan was one of the volunteers aboard the flotilla, alongside of Yvonne Ridley, Jim Hickey and Margaret Pancetta.

“Four Scots, including one of my constituents, were kidnapped by the Israeli military last night,” Scottish Greens co-leader Ross Greer said.

A video grab claims to show activist Greta Thunberg, right, as she is removed from one of the flotilla boats. Israeli Foreign Ministr

“They were part of the Global Sumud Flotilla – dozens of ships and hundreds of ordinary people doing what the world’s Governments have refused to do; trying to break the siege of Gaza and deliver life-saving food and medical supplies to starving Palestinians.”

He said the ships were “attacked by drones, had chemical dropped on them, and were attacked by the Israeli navy”.

Greer asked: “Will the First Minister demand the immediate release of the four kidnapped Scots?”

Swinney assured MSPs that his Government is doing all it can to help.

Activists on board a flotilla of vessels sailing towards Gaza say the Israeli navy has begun intercepting their vessels as they approach the besieged Palestinian territory. Global Sumud Flotilla

He said the UK Foreign Office has informed him that it is lobbying the Israeli Government to “respect law” and protect everyone’s safety.

Scottish Labour MSP Pauline McNeill similarly pressed Swinney to address the situation.

“Does the First Minister agree that Israel is in breach of international law and that they had no right to be on board of siege any of these boats in the first place?” she asked.

Swinney did not outright condemn the situation as a breach of international law, but he said he “associated [himself] entirely with McNeill’s analysis of the situation”.

“There is a whole range of different issues here where many of us are concerned that Israel is operating outside the scope of international law,” he said.

He added that respect for the world’s “rule-based system” of international law is “feeling very frayed”.

“We have to return to the rules based international law system that will protect individuals, especially our citizens that have bravely decided to go to the aid of the Palestinian people,” Swinney said.

“I commend them for their courage, I pray for their safety and I assure that the Scottish Government will do all we can to work with [the UK Foreign Office] to ensure their safety in the days to come.”

The First Minister said the Scottish Government will keep in close contact with the UK Government regarding the well-being of those on the flotilla.

Scotland

Israeli forces board and detain Gaza-bound flotilla carrying Scots

The UK Government has said it is ‘extremely concerned’ and demanded the situation is ‘resolved safely’.

The flotilla, which started out with more than 40 boats and nearly 450 activists, was carrying a symbolic amount of humanitarian aid to Gaza. Its main goal remained “to break Israel’s illegal siege and end the ongoing genocide against the Palestinian people”.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry dismissed it as a “provocation,” saying that various countries have offered to deliver the aid the boats were carrying.