We don't know if our family is dead in Gaza - Humza Yousaf

Pro-Palestinian protestors in Edinburgh joined thousands who gathered across Scotland and the UK

Scotland's first minister Humza Yousaf says he does not know if his family is alive or dead in Gaza, as it remains under a communications blackout.

He reiterated his plea for a ceasefire as thousands in Scotland joined pro-Palestinian rallies in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee.

Mr Yousaf's parents-in-law have been trapped in the territory since the deadly attacks by Hamas in Israel.

It has been hit by intense air strikes after Israeli tanks entered on Friday.

Mr Yousaf told BBC Scotland they had not heard from them since Friday morning, before the magnitude of the bombing increased.

• Thousands at pro-Palestinian protest in London

• Humza Yousaf: My in-laws are trapped in Gaza

Elizabeth El-Nakla and her husband Maged - the parents of Mr Yousaf's wife Nadia - had travelled to Gaza to see a sick relative.

He said: "We are desperately worried, and to be frank, we don't know if they are alive or dead.

"That's the reality facing many people across the world who haven't heard from their loved ones who are trapped in Gaza and have been facing bombardment over the last three weeks."

Elizabeth El-Nakla and Maged El-Nakla were visiting family in Gaza when the Hamas attacks happened

The first minister said the people of Gaza were being "collectively punished for a crime they did not commit".

"We need a cease fire and we need one now," he added.

"My wife is numb, I'm trying to do my best to give her some hope and keep ourselves distracted, we are trying to call as many relatives as we can across Gaza with no luck.

"This morning I listened to my four-year-old daughter pretending she was to phone her granny, and asking when she will come back."

Civilians in Gaza are cut off from the outside world with phone lines and the internet down for most people.

Israel has said the war with Hamas has entered the next stage with its "best soldiers" now on the ground in Gaza.

Mr Yousaf's comments came as thousands of protestors took to the streets of Scotland calling for an immediate ceasefire.

Similar demonstrations took place in many UK cities including Manchester, Belfast and London - where more than 1,000 Metropolitan Police officers were deployed.

Speaking the rally in Glasgow, Dr Ibrahim Khadra, a Palestinian academic who works at Strathclyde University, told how 42 of his family members had been killed.

He said many of his cousins and uncles has died, adding that he had lost contact with his brother and mother.

Thousands gathered at a rally in George Square in Glasgow's city centre

Dr Khadra said: "It has been hard for Palestinians who lives outside Palestine and Gaza. We lost communication with them, we don't know anything - whether they are alive or not.

"On my personal level, in the last 22 days I lost 42 of my family - if I have to count friends the number goes much higher than that."

He added: "Many like me have a similar story to tell.

"We're trying to do our best even though as Palestinians we feel helpless, there is not much we can offer our people other than demonstrating.

"The people who are suffering is not us, it is the people on the ground."

Over the last three weekends huge protests have taken place in major UK cities.

The latest rallies come as Israel expanded its strikes, three weeks after Hamas launched a cross-border attack which killed 1,400 people and saw 229 people kidnapped as hostages.