LIKE so many people in Scotland, the staff of The National have been deeply touched by the plight of innocent civilians in Gaza, who are suffering the consequences of Israel's brutal and massive retribution for the appalling crimes committed by Hamas on October 7, 2023.

The Israeli response has been devastating, indiscriminate, and disproportionate, to the extent that the far-right Israeli government of the deeply corrupt Benjamin Netanyahu now finds itself facing allegations of genocide at the International Court of Justice in the Hague.

Over 31,400 people have been killed, the majority women and children. Tens of thousands more have been wounded, many of whom have suffered life changing injuries. The Gazan health system has been devastated, hospitals lie in ruins, and there is a catastrophic shortage of medicines and medical supplies.

To make an already dire situation even worse, at least half of all buildings in the territory have been damaged – with some estimates placing the figure at 70% – and one-third have been completely destroyed. Even many of those buildings which remain standing have been rendered uninhabitable. The scale of destruction across Gaza has been described as being among the worst in modern history.

A large majority of the 2.1 million population of the Gaza Strip has been forced to flee, often multiple times, with an estimated 1.5 million now crammed into mushrooming tent encampments without adequate water or sanitation in the southern city of Rafah, which Israel has announced will be the next focus of its attacks. On Thursday, Israel said that these people who fled to Rafah after being assured that it was a safe haven will be moved yet again to so-called “humanitarian islands” in the devastated centre of the territory – while Israel razes Rafah to the ground in the way it has done in the north of Gaza.

With Israel maintaining a tight stranglehold on aid and food and medical supplies coming into Gaza, hundreds of thousands are now without food and medicine, the situation has been described as catastrophic, with the threat of epidemics and famine stalking an already traumatised population.

READ MORE: Former ICJ judge warns of 'anarchy' if Israeli genocide warning ignored

This is the worst humanitarian crisis of recent times, and has been met in Scotland with an outpouring of sympathy and support for the innocent Palestinian civilians whose lives have been ruined by this catastrophe.

Scotland has demonstrated moral support in the form of large and well attended demonstrations throughout the country calling for an immediate ceasefire. It has also demonstrated political support in the form of a motion for a ceasefire being passed with cross-party support in Holyrood, and Labour in Scotland approving a motion calling for a ceasefire at the party's recent conference.

Meanwhile Scotland's SNP representatives at Westminster attempted to bring about a debate in the House of Commons on a motion calling for an immediate ceasefire and condemning the war crimes being committed – only for Labour leader Keir Starmer to shamelessly collude with the supine and partisan Speaker Lindsay Hoyle. He broke with parliamentary convention and pulled the rug out from underneath the SNP in order to save Starmer from a deeply embarrassing rebellion.

READ MORE: Scottish Tory MSP to challenge Joanna Cherry for Westminster seat

Moral and political support is much needed and doubtless welcome to the Palestinians, but what the suffering people of Gaza really need right now is practical aid and assistance. That is where The National decided to step in, to use the platform that this newspaper provides to raise funds for Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP), one of the few international aid organisations still able to get aid into the devastated territory.

So far, MAP has sent 27 trucks carrying over $3 million worth of essential medical aid through the Rafah crossing, and its team is working right now to distribute that aid where it is most needed. In the north of Gaza, MAP is one of the only international organisations operating on the ground despite immensely challenging circumstances.

However no one could have expected the massive response to this fundraiser, the initial target of £15,000 was smashed within a few hours, subsequent revised targets of £30,000, £50,000 and £75,000 were likewise broken with ease. A final target of £100,000 has now been set, and with funds raised already exceeding £97,000 at the time of writing, there is every indication that the target will be met by the time the fundraiser closes on Saturday.

The money will be used to purchase much needed medical supplies and shelter for the civilian population in Gaza and will help to ensure that beleaguered Palestinian health workers have the medical resources they need as soon as possible The fundraiser has met with the public backing of well-known faces such as First Minister Humza Yousaf, SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn, former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, and away from the world of politics, singer Charlotte Church and actor Alan Cumming.

When this fundraiser was launched no one at The National expected it to raise so much money, some of us even thought that the previous target of £50,000 was pushing it. The fact that it has been such a runaway success is a testament to the humanity, compassion, and generosity of this newspaper's readership and to the widespread solidarity felt in Scotland to the dreadful plight of innocent Palestinian civilians, who are suffering appallingly due to a situation which is not of their making.

The fundraiser will continue until Saturday. You still have the opportunity to help make a practical difference. You can donate here: https://www.map.org.uk/donate/donation-details/516

This piece is an extract from today’s REAL Scottish Politics newsletter, which is emailed out at 7pm every weekday with a round-up of the day's top stories and exclusive analysis from the Wee Ginger Dug.

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