First Minister calls for recognition of state of Palestine

• UK urged to use influence to end violence in Gaza  

First Minister Humza Yousaf has written to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak calling for the United Kingdom to officially recognise the State of Palestine to break the political impasse that has condemned Israelis and the Palestinians to successive cycles of violence.

The letter, sent ahead of a debate on the situation in the Middle East in the Scottish Parliament on Tuesday 21 November, has also been sent to the Leader of the Opposition in the UK Parliament Sir Keir Starmer. The First Minister will open the debate on a Government motion which condemns the Hamas atrocities on 7 October, calls for the release of the hostages and for all parties to agree to an immediate ceasefire.

First Minister letter to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak

First Minister letter to the Leader of the Opposition in the UK Parliament Sir Keir Starmer