 Mae gwaith yn cyfnodd gyda'r cwestiynau. Y dyfodol y bydd y bydd yn cael ei wneud o'r cyfrifysgol yng Nghulffydd, y First Minister yw'r cwestiynau ar y cyfrifysgol, ac mae hynny'n gael ei wneud o'r interventiwns o'r interuptiwns. Yn gwrs, mae'n mynd i gael ddim yn ei ddweud o'r cwestiynau. Ond o'r cyfrifysgol o'r cyfrifysgol, we have often found a way of putting those differences aside and coming together. Even on the issue of Israel and Palestine, where passions run high as do differences of opinion, we can and we should unite on many issues. Firstly, let us unite unequivocally condemning the terror Hamas unleashed on 7 October in southern Israel. The more we learn about Hamas' barbaric attack, which took place on the Jewish Sabbath, on a Jewish holy day, the more we are sickened by their brutality. The Scottish Government unequivocally condemns the abhorrent terrorist attacks of Hamas. Let me say as someone who is proudly Muslim that I was taught from a young age that Islam tells us that if you kill one innocent person, it is as if you have killed the whole of humanity. There can be no religious or moral defence of the killing of innocent civilians. Israel, like every other country in the world, has a right to protect itself from terror, and that must be done within the confines of international law. I will return to that later. The Scottish Government also joins with the international community in calling for hostages taken by Hamas to be released immediately and unconditionally. Secondly, let this chamber unite in our common humanity in accepting that there is no hierarchy of grief, that when a mother loses a child, then we all feel that pain, we all feel that hurt, we all feel that sorrow, whether that mother is Israeli or Palestinian. I certainly felt that pain when I met Irene Cowan, the mother of Bernard Cowan, who was killed by Hamas. Irene and I held each other, we cried, we shared in each other's grief. She is an incredible woman who, despite her own heartache, told me that she was praying for my in-laws and for all the innocent men, women and children who were trapped in Gaza. Let us agree that too many mothers and fathers have lost their children, and too many children have become orphaned. That is why we need an immediate ceasefire, and an immediate ceasefire must be agreed to. Thirdly, let us all unite in saying clearly that the overwhelming majority of men, women and children in Gaza have nothing to do with Hamas. They must not be punished for Hamas's crimes. Almost 60 per cent of Gazans are under the age of 25. Almost half of the population of Gaza are children. Cutting off electricity, food, water and fuel supplies to the people of Gaza is collective punishment, and it must be condemned in the strongest possible manner. International law must always and especially when it is difficult must be respected. The Scottish Government calls on all sides to agree to an immediate ceasefire, to allow the humanitarian corridor to open and for supplies to get into Gaza, as well as allowing those who want to leave safe passage out. UN agencies described the humanitarian situation in Gaza as desperate before the war. They now call the situation catastrophic. Today, premature babies, injured infants, pregnant women and all the people who have lost their homes overnight in Gaza have little in the way of access to clean water. They cannot make bread. Many are in desperate need of sufficient medical treatment for horrendous injuries and have virtually no access to life-saving medicine. The aid, the trickle of aid arriving in Gaza, must be significantly increased without delay. It must include fuel, otherwise hospitals will simply shut down the sick, the injured and premature babies. They will die. If that happens, it will be a stain on all our collective consciousness. It is one that we should not be forgiven for. On the humanitarian effort that is now required, Scotland stands ready to do our part. The Scottish Government has already pledged £500,000 in humanitarian funding to the UN's relief and works agency, UNRWA, to help to displace people in Gaza. The Palestinian people are proud people. They are proud of their culture, the proud of their history, the proud of their land. They should not be forced to leave. However, we know that this conflict alone has meant that one million people in Gaza have already been displaced. Therefore, for those who wish to leave, I reiterate my call on the international community to commit to a worldwide refugee programme for the people of Gaza, particularly women and children. I will continue to call on the UK Government to begin work on both the creation of a refugee resettlement scheme and on plans for medical evacuation of injured civilians in Gaza. As I have said before, Scotland is willing to play at her part and be the first country in the UK to offer safe sanctuary to vulnerable people caught up in this war. Scotland is ready to treat the injured men, women and children of Gaza in our hospitals where we can. In the past, the people of Scotland and across the UK have opened our hearts, our homes and welcomed those from Syria, Ukraine and many other countries. We are a generous nation. Let us show that generosity of spirit and heart once again. I am greatly concerned by the plight of British citizens who are captured as hostages by Hamas. I reiterate our call for them to be released. I am also deeply distressed thinking of Scots who are trapped in Gaza. British citizens, including children in the elderly, who have called Scotland their home for decades and are trapped within the Gaza Strip, waiting to cross safely into Egypt. Of course, there is the plight of my own in-laws. Let me thank members from across the chamber who have sent kind messages of support or solidarity who have told me that our family is in your prayers. Your words have been of great comfort to me and to Nadia. Every night, every night, Nadia and I go to bed barely sleeping as we count down the hours until the morning, waiting anxiously for a message from my mother-in-law to tell us that they have survived the night. Throughout the day, the hundred people who are in our family home must ration their foot. The adults barely eat. My mother-in-law, she only ate cashew nuts yesterday. They ration so the children in the house do not end up malnourished, but time is running out. I spoke to my mother-in-law this morning. She feels helpless. She has lost hope. She tells me she feels as if the UK Government has forgotten about her. Please do not interpret my point as a political one. It is not. She has a UK citizen, yet the only communication that she receives from the Foreign Office is a text message telling her what she already knows, that the RAFA crossing is closed. What she needs is the UK Government, the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary to spend every minute of every day demanding that their allies in Egypt and Israel open the RAFA crossing and open it now to allow those UK citizens, all of them, who are trapped in Gaza's safe passage and for them to return home to their families. I made this very point to the Prime Minister this afternoon when we spoke on the phone and reiterated the Scottish Government's call for a ceasefire, for more aid, including fuel, to be allowed into Gaza and of course reiterated that the Prime Minister has our full support in everything he is doing to bring British hostages back home. In the meantime, I have a wife who really wants to hug her mum and dad. I have two girls who really miss their granny and their granddad and they just want to know, like many other families across the country, when they'll come home. I'm afraid, Presiding Officer, it's a question. I simply do not know the answer to it. Too many innocent men, women and children are suffering. We can't allow this conflict to create new tensions in our peaceful communities in Scotland or elsewhere in the world. There must be zero tolerance for antisemitism, for Islamophobia, for sectarian violence of any kind anywhere. Scotland's Jewish, Muslim and Palestinian communities are communities that I love, the ones that I've grown up with, the ones that I share pain and sorrow. As long as I'm First Minister, let me be abundantly clear, and I'm sure I can speak for the entire chamber, that there is no room for antisemitism, for Islamophobia or hatred of any kind here in Scotland. I am steadfast in my commitment to solidarity and to a strong tradition of inclusion and interfaith working across Scotland. I was pleased to be able to bring together senior rabbis and imams to put their name to a joint statement, clearly stating that they will not be divided and they stand together against hatred in any form. We all know that there are those who say that violence is inevitable. It's an eternal constant of our human condition. They're wrong. The human capacity to love is far greater. Only days before Hamas's horrific attacks, thousands of women from the Israeli movement Women Wage Peace and the Palestinian movement Women of the Sun held a joint march for peace on 4 October, demanding an end to the historic cycle of bloodshed. After Hamas's attacks on 7 October, Women Wage Peace issued the following statement. Every mother Jewish in Arab gives birth to her children to see them grow and flourish, not to bury them. That's why even today, amid the pain and the feeling that the belief in peace has collapsed, we extend a hand in peace to the mothers of Gaza and the West Bank. It's time that the whole world listens to women of the sun and to women wage peace and other voices to reduce armed conflict, to promote equality, to protect the vulnerable, so that humanity can unite to overcome violence and hatred and so that every mother can see her children grow up safely. Surely that's something that every Palestinian and every Israeli deserves. The Scottish Government reiterates our call for hostages to be released for an immediate ceasefire, for an end to collective punishment, for more aid, including fuel, to be allowed into Gaza and for those who want to leave, particularly foreign nationals, to be given safe passage to do so. Let us hope together, let us pray that humanity prevails. The First Minister will now take questions on the issues raised in his statement. I intend to allow around 20 minutes for questions after which we'll move on to the next item of business. I'd be grateful if all members who wish to put a question were to press their request to speak buttons. I call on Douglas Ross. Thank you, Presiding Officer. The barbaric terrorist attack on Israel was horrifying. Innocent civilians targeted. People murdered in cold blood. Women raped. Children snatched for their homes. Some never to return. We cannot begin to imagine what it's like to live in fear that that could happen. Israel has more than a right to defend itself. It has an obligation to its people. A duty to protect them by preventing a terrorist attack like this from ever happening again. My party stands with Israel. We send them our love, our thoughts and our sympathies to each and every one who have lost family members and loved ones. At this time, we thank the family of Bernard Cowan, who moved from Newton-Meyrns to Israel and tragically was a victim of this attack. Bernard's mother, Irene, showed extraordinary courage and dignity just a few days after his death to light a candle in his memory at the service in the Githnic in Newton-Meyrns synagogue, and his whole family remain in our thoughts at this time, as do the families of the hostages, and we reiterate those international calls for their immediate release. We also stand with the innocent people in Palestine caught up in this, including the First Minister's own family. We can see the toll it has taken on him, his wife Nadia and their entire family, and we pray for a positive outcome for them. The Palestinian people are not Hamas. They are civilians, they are innocent and they are caught up in a terrible situation, and they are suffering from the tyranny, exploitation and oppression of Hamas terrorists. Words matter on issues like this, and we must be unequivocal. This attack was not carried out by freedom fighters, neither were they militants. There is no just equivalence between the two sides, Israel and Hamas. This was an attack by terrorists, and there should be no debate about that. Terrorism is cowardly. It preys on innocence. It spreads fear. It knows no decency. Finally, we should never fixate on flags, especially when lives are being lost. I believe that this Scottish Parliament should have shown visibly that it stood with Israel against terrorism and flown its flag after this attack. I am disappointed it did not, especially as it would have shown solidarity with Scotland's Jewish community in a moment of grief and tragedy. We all know there has been fear and concern in the Jewish community here in Scotland. Will the First Minister outline what actions have been taken to support our Jewish friends and neighbours, and what has been done to ensure that there is a zero-tolerance approach to anti-Semitic, Islamophobic and sectarian behaviour? I thank Douglas Ross for his contribution. I also thank him for his private message to me earlier last week when the news of Mayan laws being trapped in Gaza became public. He was one of the first to reach out in a very heartfelt message, and I am grateful to him and many of his colleagues in the benches behind him who reached out personally to me. As I say, those messages have meant a great deal to me and Nadia for giving us great comfort over the past two weeks. Douglas Ross is absolutely right. There is real, palpable fear among many communities here in Scotland and the Jewish community. There is undoubtedly fear around any growing rise in anti-Semitism. If I can give Douglas Ross a few points of assurance first and foremost, I had a meeting recently with the new chief constable of Police Scotland and she told me that there has not been thankfully yet any reports or reported rise in anti-Semitism or Islamophobia, but that is not to be complacent. There may well be under-reporting that often is when it comes to hate crime. It is incumbent on every single one of us to take a zero-tolerance approach, but also to do what we can in our local constituencies, in our leadership positions, to take the hands of all communities. However, if I take the Muslim community and the Jewish community at the moment who are feeling particularly vulnerable to take their hands and to say that we will do everything that we can to shield them from hatred, be it anti-Semitism or Islamophobia, that is why the joint statement that I thought was quite important from senior rabbis and senior imams, I will make sure that that statement is shared with every single member of the Scottish Parliament, but you all have mosques in your constituencies, many will have synagogues in their constituencies, many will have churches, of course we know many Palestinians, for example, are from the Christian community too, so let's make sure that we do what we can as leaders in our own community to reach out to those who are feeling vulnerable and feeling under attack. I agree with Douglas Ross's first point too around the fact that we should be unequivocal in a condemnation of the terror attack from Hamas, and I hope that he has heard that unequivocally from me but from the Government and I think from everybody in this chamber. There is a broader discussion to have at a time, I don't think that it's for now around how we stop that perpetual cycle of violence that we see every few years, I'm afraid, in the region. That is a discussion perhaps for another day and a discussion I'm sure we can all be involved in and have our own say on. For now, let me thank Douglas Ross for his personal messages to me, but also to say that I'm willing to work with everybody and anybody in this chamber in order to give reassurance to our communities that hatred of any type, any form, will not be tolerated here in Scotland. Thank you, Presiding Officer. Everyone at Scottish Labour stands with those who have been affected by the crisis and bloodshed in Israel and Palestine. For those with family in Israel and Palestine, like Hamza Yousaf, this must be a time of great anxiety and worry, and they are in my thoughts at this time. We all unequivocally condemn Hamas and their actions. There is never any justification for targeting civilians or the loss of innocent life. I think particularly of the family of Bernard Cowan, a Scottish citizen who is one of the many murdered in that horrific act of terror. While Israel has a right to defend itself, it must act in accordance with international law. Hamas is not Palestine. There is no justification for the collective punishment of the people of Gaza. Let me be clear that withholding water, electricity, food and medicine is a breach of international law. It may feel so far away, but I still believe in the cause of peace. That is why there must be the immediate release of hostages, the immediate opening of humanitarian corridors with the free flow of water, food and medicine, a de-escalation in violence with an end to rocket fire into and out of the Gaza Strip, and finally a peace process, because sadly right now we have no peace and we have no process. That means a two-state solution that delivers peace, freedom and security to the people of Israel and peace, freedom and security to the people of Palestine, with an end to occupation and illegal siege, because only when every life is treated as equal will we be able to see peace. Finally, I know how much this is affecting people here in Scotland, so to Scotland's Jewish, Israeli, Muslim and Palestinian communities, I send my solidarity, love and support. Tragically, whenever there are rising tensions in the Middle East, we see a spike in antisemitism and Islamophobia, and we must say with one voice that we have a zero tolerance to all forms of prejudice and hate, and we stand together with Scotland's Jewish and Muslim communities in the face of that hate. So can I ask the First Minister what additional action his Government is taking to tackle antisemitism and Islamophobia in Scotland, and in particular what additional support and resources his Government are making available to protect visible symbols of faith like places of worship? Presenting officer, this is a time of great hurt. I stand with all those in fear of their life or for their loved ones in Israel and Palestine. I stand with all those so desperate for peace and I stand with Scotland's Jewish and Muslim communities. I also thank Anas Sarwar for his kindness to me personally and the messages that he has sent both me and to Nadia during this time. I would say that I agree with almost everything Anas Sarwar has said around international law and collective punishment. He is absolutely right and we, of course, all of us understand Israel's right, as any other country does, to protect its citizens from terror that must be done with international law. That can feel difficult to say, but we should be unequivocal about it because when it is most difficult that international law we must reiterate the points around international law being adhered to. Further than Anas Sarwar, I do not think that it just requires de-escalation, but it requires a ceasefire. That ceasefire is required now because too many people, innocent men, women and children, have lost their lives in Israel and, of course, in Gaza. We know that I was looking at a release from Save the Children, who say that around 2,000 of those who have been killed in Gaza are children. If that number is verified, that is something that should haunt us quite frankly. I would call for an immediate ceasefire in terms of his last question. I have referenced some of the actions that we are taking. We have had before our security for places of worship fund that has helped a number of religious institutions with their own security. I can look to see what the latest status of that is and make sure that Anas Sarwar is provided with the details. I also met recently with the Holocaust Memorial Trust, the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, who do a lot of work not just in reminding people about the Holocaust but, of course, of genocides such as the Bosnian genocide, the Rwandan genocide. They do so not just because of those tragic, terrible events but to remind us about the precursor to those events. The precursor to those tragic, terrible events was hatred, anti-semitism, Islamophobia, in the case of the Bosnian genocide, and hatred in another form. We must all take a stand, as Anas Sarwar has done over many years, collectively. I can commit myself to work with everybody across the chamber to stamp out hatred in any form that exists anywhere in the country. I was deeply moved by the words of the First Minister. I'm sure that the entire chamber was. He carried himself with the quiet dignity that has characterized much of his response to the unfolding situation. Above politics, love for family transcends everything, unites us all, and today this chamber stands united in our concern for the First Minister's family, as it does for everyone worried about loved ones in Gaza and in Israel today. What happened on 7 October was an atrocity. Hamas are terrorists who degraded, kidnapped and murdered hundreds upon hundreds of Israelis, women and children. What's happened since to the innocent civilians of Gaza who Hamas hide behind is fast becoming a humanitarian catastrophe that has shocked the world. Both peoples have a right to live free from fear, so I echo the First Minister's comments on the need for a ceasefire and the introduction of a humanitarian corridor. Can I ask, as the First Minister, to share my view, that you can fervently believe in Israel's right to defend herself within the bounds of international law and, at the same time, support the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination in a country of their own, and that, while the road to peace may seem so vanishingly far away right now, it is a road that we can and must rejoin. I agree, and I also thank Alex Cole-Hamilton for the call that he gave me a couple of weeks ago when the situation was first unfolding. His words of comfort were greatly appreciated. Outside of this chamber, I have also been full of admiration for his Liberal Democrat colleague Leila Moran, who also has family up in Gaza, who has spoken very powerfully indeed over the last couple of weeks. I agree with Alex Cole-Hamilton on the immediate need for a humanitarian corridor. Let's just be clear about the trickle of aid that is coming into Gaza is simply not enough. It's a start, we all accept that, and any movement is a positive movement, but it is nowhere near enough. A number of UN agencies, the World Health Organization and others, are calling for at least 100 trucks per day of aid to go into Gaza. We associate ourselves with the calls from the United Nations, the World Health Organization from UNRA and other humanitarian organisations. I also agree with Alex Cole-Hamilton on the point about self-determination. Again, this is no doubt a longer debate for another day, but we have all lived our lives seeing these cycles of violence erupt. Of course, until we address the root cause, the root issue, we are going to continue to see cycles of violence perpetuate in the region. One of the key issues that the root cause undoubtedly is that two states were promised. One state exists and has every right to exist. The other state, the Palestinian state, does not exist free and unoccupied. Therefore, the international community must come forward, must redouble its efforts, and there must be an honest broker that is found in steps forward to allow for those efforts around a two-state solution to finally be realised for the people of course of Israel and, crucially, also for the people of Palestine. I thank the First Minister for his heartfelt words, his moral leadership and his bravery over the last two weeks at a time of unimaginable personal strain. The thoughts of myself and my party are with him and his wider family. They are all in our thoughts and prayers. I wish to associate the green group with what he has said this afternoon on the brutality of the Hamas attacks on 7 October and the taking and holding of hostages. On the need for Israel to adhere to international law and to cease the collective punishment of innocent people and families in Gaza and on the need for immediate actions, including a ceasefire, the protection of humanitarian corridors and aid access. Here in Scotland, he has our support for our country's role in supporting people displaced and scarred by conflict and ensuring that effect communities continue to see Scotland as a welcoming country. We need to see the end to the tragedy of escalating cycles of violence, so will the First Minister join with my party and I in recognising that a negotiated agreement which respects the equal rights of Palestinians and Israelis alike to safety and security in their homeland has never been more urgent? On the point of refugee scheme, I will go back to what I said in my comments that I know that this is being married to a Palestinian Palestinian very proud people. They should be proud of their culture, their history, their language, their music and their land. They do not want to leave their land. My wife's family who are in Gaza, they are not original inhabitants of Gaza. They lived in the West Bank and were forced to leave and had to leave and ended up in Gaza and have been there for 75 odd years. They should not be forced to leave, but people are displaced, their homes have turned to rubble and therefore for those who do wish to leave, they do seek safe sanctuary, then the UK, Scotland and people across the United Kingdom have been very generous in opening their homes, opening their hearts to people in years gone by, be they from Syria, be they from Ukraine and other countries if required. Let us also show that generosity of spirit and that we are prepared to work with the UK Government around any resettlement scheme that should focus firstly on women and children but on innocent people across the board. I agree on the second point on the negotiated agreement. I will not reiterate what I said to Alex Cole at Hamilton, but I agree wholeheartedly with the point that Gillian Mackay makes that an Israeli life is equal to a Palestinian life. Palestinian life is equal to an Israeli life, therefore we need to make movement, get through this current difficult, tragic period in time. Let us see some positive movement, some real progress in relation to a two-state solution and of course the Palestinian nationhood, which has been denied for so many decades. Thank you, Presiding Officer. I also add my best wishes to the First Minister at this incredibly difficult time for him and anyone caught up in this conflict. Today, I want to take from this chamber the word unity, because despite the divisions and the polarisation around these debates, we have seen unity and grief for those who have lost their lives, unity and hope for those still being held hostage to be released safely, and unity and solidarity with the innocent civilians both in Israel and in Gaza who are suffering unimaginably at this time. The world rightly condemned the important Hamas attacks on 7 October, but the international community must also be equally unambiguous and unequivocal in its commitment to international law and a rejection of a collective punishment of the people of Palestine. As the First Minister, how is he and his Government engaging with the international community to achieve that ceasefire, a humanitarian aid and a humanitarian corridor, and that very needed negotiated lasting peace for the region? I thank Claire Adamson for her words. I agree wholeheartedly with her sentiment that we have had many debates in this chamber around the issue of Israel and Palestine. They have often been heated, and they have often exposed differences that we have on the geopolitical situation, and they are notwithstanding that, and those differences are undoubtedly legitimate to express. We must be able to unite on the common humanity of the situation, and I try to hopefully bring some of that through in my statement. There is more in the situation that we can agree on than we disagree on. As long as we keep rooting our response in empathy and compassion, and the requirement to adhere to international law, I think that there is a lot more that will unite us than will divide us. I go back to the point that I made to Douglas Ross. I would hope that every member would feel an incumbent duty on them to reach out to the communities, all those who are feeling vulnerable, particularly our Jewish and Muslim communities, to give them reassurance that hate crime will not be tolerated. Of course, it is for the UK Government who has reserved remit from responsibility of foreign affairs to take forward the issues around peace, around two-state solution, and I reiterated some of the points that I have made in the statement today to the Prime Minister and previously to the Foreign Secretary, James Cleverley, where we can add value. I believe that we can be a voice. I think that it is an important voice. I think that people want to hear what the Scottish Parliament has to say, as well as the Scottish Government has to say, and they will know that there will be a lot of interest in that. There will be a number of our constituents who feel helpless in that situation and who want to be able to help. I urge them to consider donating to the flash appeal and flash appeal for humanitarian aid, as the Scottish Government has done. We will continue to provide a humanitarian response where we can. We will continue to be an important voice to urge peace, to urge for a ceasefire, to urge for a humanitarian corridor, to urge hostages to be released. I will continue to do that on behalf of the Scottish Government. I am certain that we will be able to do that together as a Scottish Parliament. The UK Government has engaged in intensive diplomatic efforts to open the Rafa crossing from Gaza into Egypt to allow humanitarian aid to enter the territory. The crossing is now partially open, and aid trucks have been arriving over the past few days. Does the First Minister recognise those efforts and acknowledge the delivery of aid into the Gaza territory so far? I recognise the intense diplomatic efforts that the UK Government, the United States Government, the Egyptian Government and many other Governments across the world have been involved in. I welcome it, but I go back to my point. I am sure that Megan Gallacher would agree that it is a fraction of what is needed. I listened to the UN agencies on the ground, and I heard from medical aid from Palestinians earlier this week—sorry, just yesterday—saying that hospitals were running out of not just medical supplies but, of course, that important point about fuel. When I spoke to the Prime Minister this afternoon, I know that he is also encouraging fuel to be allowed in. It is a call that I align myself with wholeheartedly. Of course, we need that to happen urgently, given that some hospitals are reporting. I think that Al Shifa hospital in Gaza is reporting that they only have 40 hours before the hospital shuts down, and that is Gaza's largest hospital, as Megan Gallacher will know. I welcome the efforts, but I think that we need to see far more than 20 aid trucks a day going in. We need at least 100 aid trucks, according to humanitarian organisations. Ivan McKee, to be followed by Jackie Baillie. The latest round of the tragic conflicts in Israel-Palestine has so far claimed the lives of more than 5,000 people—most of them innocent civilians. We condemn the brutal acts carried out by Hamas, but also recognise that collective punishment of a civilian population by Israel is a war crime. Does the First Minister agree with me that a lasting peace will only come about through negotiations that recognise the rights of Palestinians in Gaza and in the West Bank, remembering that many innocent Palestinians have been killed by settlers and soldiers in the West Bank while this conflict continues? Join me in calling through an immediate ceasefire and the release of hostages. I agree with the sentiments expressed by Ivan McKee, who has had a long-standing history in engaging in the situation. He has been to Palestine on a number of occasions himself and seen firsthand some of the challenges that exist in that region. The numbers that Ivan McKee reads out are more than statistics. They are people. There are 5,000 people in Gaza and around about 1,400 have been killed in Israel. These are real people with real families, real children, real mothers, real fathers who are all in mourning at their loss. I pay my condolences and condolences of the Scottish Government to all those families who suffer in grief. His point about collective punishment is one that I have reiterated and will reiterate again. It cannot be justified. Cutting off electricity, food, fuel, supplies cannot be justified. I am afraid that it goes against the principles of international law. The points that Ivan McKee makes about the West Bank are well made. That is why the Government has had a long-standing position on the end of the occupation, the end of the siege or blockade of Gaza, and to recognise the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people to their own state. That is, of course, an objective that the international community agreed to not years ago but decades ago, but we have to see movement very much on that. It has to be in a way that, of course, the Israeli Government and the people of Israel also have their rights protected and their safety protected. That is a position that I know Ivan McKee for the reasons that he agrees with. Jackie Baillie to be followed by Rona Mackay. I very much agree with the First Minister's comments about solidarity and inclusion in Scotland. However, across the UK, anti-Semitic hate crime has recorded a 1,300 per cent increase, and Islamophobic hate crime is up by 140 per cent this month alone. We are united in saying that hatred, violence and racism in any form cannot be tolerated. Will the First Minister advise whether our laws are sufficiently robust to tackle anti-Semitic and Islamophobic hate crime and, separately, what discussions has he had with local authorities and the UK Government on encouraging community cohesion? I think that Jackie Baillie makes some very important points. I do not want her to misinterpret my remarks that I made previously to think that there is any complacency. There certainly is not. The chief constable was clear to me that although they have not seen a reported rise, there can often be a delay in reporting. Jackie Baillie knows well because she has been involved in the fight against hatred and bigotry for many, many years, that there can be lots of underreporting and there can, of course, be a real worry or anxiety about communities in reporting to the authorities. That is why we have third party reporting centres, which I think are really important. I will certainly consider what more we can do with local government, indeed with the UK Government, where it is necessary to send a really united message that not only do we oppose anti-Semitism, Islamophobia and hatred in any way, shape or form, but there are means and methods by which people can report that, which gives them confidence, I hope, and lessens their anxiety. I go back to the point that I made in my earlier answer to Douglas Ross. I think that we all have responsibility. I know that it is one that every single member of this Parliament takes very seriously within our communities that we know well to assure them and reassure them that we will not stand for any hatred whatsoever. However, I will certainly reflect on the points about local government and what more we can do with local government that are well made by Jackie Baillie. Rona Mackay, to be followed by Jackson Carlaw. Across the UK, we have warmly welcomed refugees from Ukraine, Syria and other countries. I wholeheartedly agree with the First Minister that we should now offer the same option for safety and sanctuary to refugees from Palestine. Can the First Minister confirm once again that Scotland is ready to play its part in welcoming those who wish to leave Gaza? We will begin the process and the work that is necessary with our colleagues in local government around our resettlement scheme. The UK Government has resettlement schemes for Ukrainians. We know for the Syrian population that were displaced. We had a Syrian vulnerable personal relocation scheme as well. We worked hand in glove with our local government colleagues in order to make sure that we had the appropriate housing, the appropriate public services and the resettlement programme in place. That work, we will begin so that if there is a need to a requirement for a refugee scheme, we are ready and prepared to go and be the first country to be able to offer that safety and sanctuary when it is required. I go back to the point that I made to Gillian Mackay. The Palestinian people are very proud people, proud of their land. Nobody should be forced to leave. Of course, if there is a requirement, I think that the international community—and it has to be the international community, given some of the numbers—we are talking about a worldwide effort that will not be resolved by the UK or Scotland alone, but a worldwide effort to offer that refugee scheme for those who require it and need it. Jackson Carlaw to be followed by Willie Coffey. In his very public embrace of Irene Cowan in her moment of deepest grief and in his reflections and remarks to a pact congregation in the Gifnuch and Newton-Mern's synagogue, the First Minister's sincerity and empathy was deeply impressive and hugely appreciated by Jewish constituents in my Eastwood constituents. They, in turn, know that perhaps two decades apart he and I both grew up in a community where we had many Jewish neighbours and friends, and their sympathy and understanding for all the innocence in the region was equally sincere and in particular for the wellbeing of the First Minister's family. The Jewish community in Scotland is small, perhaps 11,000 souls, half of whom live in and around my Eastwood constituency. They have never been more fearful, more anxious. They will maybe take some comfort from the forthcoming visit of the chief rabbis or if from Mervis to the Calderwood Lodge campus, the first and only joint Catholic Jewish primary school campus anywhere in the world, a tribute to the work that interfaith communities have made in this country of Scotland to improving and working to protect and make people feel safe within their communities. I simply want to ask the First Minister in light of everything that he has already said. What more he can do to work with local politicians in communities such as mine to demonstrate that we stand together and are determined to ensure that people here will continue to feel welcome and safe. Jackson Carlaw has contributed and articulated powerfully. Many of the sentiments we are all feeling he has been a long-standing friend of the Jewish community even before his election to this Parliament. I know that it is well recognised. I saw that first hand when I was at the synagogue for the service in solidarity and prayer. I also spoke to the chief rabbi, Rabbi Mervis, last week. I was again touched by the fact that he made a point of telling me that he was praying not just for my family but for all of the innocent men, women and children in Gaza. I was deeply touched by that. I can give Jackson Carlaw a hope, a reassurance that not only are words important, but they are important. People need to hear what we are saying in terms of our joint endeavour to tackle antisemitism, Islamophobia and hatred, but actions are really important as well. That is why I take it as a personal responsibility to be visible, to be engaging with communities that are very fearful indeed. I can give Jackson Carlaw two assurances, one that I will continue to do and where he and I can do that together, given his standing within the Jewish community. I am more than happy to hear any suggestions that he has when he visits, that he thinks that he needs to be done, or that he thinks that the Government can play a role in facilitating community conversations. We stand ready to do that. Robert Burns has been quoted often since this tragedy unfolded when he said that man's inhumanity to man makes countless thousands more. Can the First Minister give the people of Scotland an assurance that he will focus on humanitarian support, reconciliation and peace in order to save the countless thousands of innocent lives that are still at risk? I can. I see it as a duty of the Governments to continue to speak out. Speak out and make sure that our response is rooted in empathy, in compassion and in international law, so that everybody who is suffering, and there are many, many suffering in Gaza, many suffering in Israel, that they believe that this Government speaks for peace, for justice, for, as they say, compassion and for humanity. I will do everything that I can in my gift and in the Government's gift to assure people at home but also abroad. I think that there has been in this day and age of social media in particular an interest in what the Government here in Scotland has to say as well as what the Governments say across the world. We will continue to raise our voice where appropriately, given assurance to all the people of Scotland, we have concentrated a lot on the Jewish community and the Muslim community. There are many communities, atheists, agnostic, Christian people of all faiths and none who are genuinely concerned about the plight of their fellow men, women and children in Israel and in Gaza. We will continue to do what we can to raise our voice but also to contribute to the humanitarian effort that is on-going. Neil Bibby, to be followed by Ruth McGuire. Since 7 October, we know that, in addition to many other innocents of Owens, at least 21 journalists have tragically been killed already. Journalists continue to do their job in the most difficult of circumstances. Democracy relies on a free press, particularly against the backdrop of misinformation. Will the First Minister take the opportunity to express his solidarity with the journalists in Israel and Palestine as they seek to provide accurate information in a responsible way? That is an excellent point that Neil Bibby made. Fearless journalism has allowed us to see the true horrors of this conflict and the true horrors of the barbaric attack by Hamas and the true horrors of that collective punishment that is taking place, unfortunately, within Gaza. It has been horrific, but it is important that we see that because it then precipitates the appropriate response from all of us and the international community. Many journalists, as Neil Bibby has said, have lost their lives, and I pay tribute to them and their families. I give my commiserations, my condolences and my sympathies to their families, but I pay tribute to their fearlessness as Neil Bibby rightly puts it. We owe them a debt of gratitude that I suspect that we will not be able to repay. I have been contacted by constituents who feel distressed and concerned about the unfolding situation in Gaza. They have asked me to speak up. I can do that here. I condemn the barbaric terrorism of Hamas and urge them to release all hostages unharmed. I urge the Israeli Government to operate within international law and cease the dehumanising genocidal language toward and collective punishment of innocent men, women and children in Gaza. Can the First Minister provide any guidance on how my constituents, without a platform like ours, can not only express solidarity, but also provide practical assistance to the Palestinian people at this time? I think that speaking out is really important. We have seen, of course, many demonstrations across cities and towns in Scotland and right across the UK, and I think that it is important to allow people that facilitation of peaceful democratic process. I think that that is an important outlet for people to channel their anger, their frustration, their compassion, their humanity, and to support people's right to do that. It is important to state that. I completely understand the helplessness that people feel when they see the scenes unfolding on the television screens and across social media. I would say that one of the ways that we all can contribute in the Government has done this from our behalf is to the UN Flash Appeal. They are asking for around about US$300 million—$294 million for that Flash Appeal—for the humanitarian crisis that is on-going. We can donate to that Flash Appeal, to those trusted partners that are delivering humanitarian aid, even though we are seeing a trickle of trucks going just now. My hope, as my expectation, is that that number will increase and increase and increase as the time goes on. That concludes the First Minister's statement. There will be a short moment before we move on to the next item of business.