ALBAWABA - Former Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf is facing a probe into donations the Scottish government made to aid agencies in Gaza, while several family members of the minister were trapped in the besieged strip.
Yousaf pushed for the government to donate £250,000 to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). He intervened after authorities proposed a £100,000-£200,000 donation to Unicef, the United Nations organization that provides humanitarian relief to children, to support water projects in Gaza.
However, Yousaf overlooked the recommendations and announced that £250,000 in public funds should be sent to UNRWA, the largest international humanitarian organization working in Gaza.
British Daily The Telegraph reported that the Scottish government is conducting a "review of the processes involved in our response to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza".
On November 2, Yousaf met with a group of top UNRWA officials in Edinburgh, and the Scottish Government formally confirmed their £250,000 donation. Yousaf's mother-in-law and father-in-law were granted safe passage out of Gaza via the Rafah border the next day, November 3.
Commenting on the probe into donations made during Yousaf's time in office, a Scottish Government spokesperson said: "The review, which will focus on evolving future Scottish Government humanitarian funding mechanisms and processes, will be announced in due course".
A spokesman said at the time: "UNRWA had no role in the situation regarding the first minister’s extended family, and any suggestion of a conflict of interest in this matter would be completely untrue".
Al-Aqsa Flood operation against Israel
Hamas military group announced on Oct. 7 a military operation called "Al-Aqsa Flood" against Israel which is the biggest offensive in decades.
Palestinian fighters “infiltrated” Israel from the Gaza Strip and captured military bases and took hostages as photos and videos went viral online showing Hamas fighters on vehicles inside Israel and others paragliding into occupation territory.
In response, Israeli armed forces announced targeting Hamas positions inside the Gaza Strip. Thousands were killed, and dozens of thousands of others were injured in the Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip.
The latest statistics by the Ministry of Health in Gaza revealed that the death toll from Israeli brutal pounding on the Gaza Strip since October 7 has soared to 38,584+ people, with more than 88,881+ injuries.
Since then, approximately 85% of Gazans have been displaced, all of whom are suffering from severe food insecurity, and the healthcare system has collapsed. Hundreds of thousands of people lack shelter, and aid trucks are entering the area at a lower rate than before the conflict began.
