NICOLA Sturgeon has said that Israel’s actions in Gaza are “nothing short of a genocide” in a major intervention following pressure from her own constituents.
The former first minister also said she was “proud” that the SNP-led Scottish Government was considering a full state boycott of Israel, as The National revealed on Thursday.
Sturgeon’s statement came after a number of her Glasgow Southside constituents wrote to question her “surprising silence” on the Israeli occupation of Palestine.
A template letter drafted by Scotland for Palestine – a pro-Palestine and pro-Scottish independence group – said: “As a constituent who stands against apartheid, occupation, and genocide, I am writing to ask you to tell me what concrete steps you will take to help end the illegal occupation of Palestine and the Palestinian genocide?”
The group aimed to push Sturgeon into speaking publicly on the issue ahead of her appearance at the Govanhill Book Festival on Friday, August 8.
A spokesperson for Scotland for Palestine said: “Nicola Sturgeon has a reputation as someone who will speak out in a forthright manner and with integrity. As a former first minister for Scotland and a heavy-weight politician she has an unrivalled platform and reach.
“However, after almost two years in what is one of the darkest eras in history including a complete breakdown of international and humanitarian law, she seems to have been very quiet.
“What does she have to say about the current situation in Palestine and the part the SNP is playing in the widely documented political and financial backing of Israel?”
Responding, Sturgeon was unequivocal.
“What we are witnessing in Gaza is nothing short of a genocide,” she said. “The killing of civilians, the targeting of children, the destruction of entire communities. It is a moral outrage, and the world must not look away.
"As someone who has always stood up for human rights and international law, I want to be clear: the root cause of the devastating cycle of violence in Gaza is the decades-long illegal occupation of Palestine – and that must end.
“The people of Scotland have shown profound solidarity with the Palestinian people, and we must all ensure that Scotland remains a voice for justice on the global stage.”
The former SNP leader’s comments come after John Swinney, the current First Minister, also described Israel’s actions in Gaza as a genocide.
Speaking to journalists after an Edinburgh Fringe event which was repeatedly interrupted by pro-Palestine protesters, Swinney said: “It’s quite clear that there is a genocide in Palestine – it can’t be disputed.”
Experts including Israel-based right group B’Tselem, dean's professor of Holocaust and genocide studies at Brown University Omer Bartov, UN special rapporteur for the Occupied Palestinian Territories Francesca Albanese, and Amnesty International have concluded that Benjamin Netanyahu’s government is committing genocide.
Netanyahu is wanted for arrest by the International Criminal Court on suspicion of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The Israeli prime minister is reported to be considering a full occupation of Gaza, with US president Donald Trump already having backed plans for a “clear out” of the region – as well as saying that occupying Gaza is “up to Israel”.
The US and Israel have taken control of aid distribution points in the Palestinian region through the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), an American contractor led by evangelist former Trump adviser Johnnie Moore.
A whistleblower told the BBC in July that he had witnessed tanks and machine guns at GHF sites firing on Palestinian women and children who posed no threat.
“I witnessed the Israeli Defense Forces firing a main gun tank round from the Merkava tank into a crowd of people,” Anthony Aguilar said. “I witnessed mortar rounds being fired at the crowds of people to keep them controlled.”
The UN human rights office said last week that some 1400 Palestinians have been killed seeking aid since May, mostly near GHF sites but also along UN convoy routes where trucks have been overwhelmed by crowds. It says nearly all were killed by Israeli fire.
Hamas-led militants killed some 1200 people, mostly civilians, in the October 7 attack and abducted another 251. Most of the hostages have been released in ceasefires or other deals. Of the 50 still held in Gaza, around 20 are believed to be alive.
Israel’s retaliation has killed more than 61,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which the UN and independent experts consider the most reliable source for the number of war casualties.
Images taken from aid planes over Gaza have shown the region devastated, with schools, hospitals, universities, roads, and other infrastructure completely destroyed.
