Scotland cuts funding to ‘Israel’, sends millions to Gaza relief

• Scottish government pauses funding to arms companies linked to ‘Israeli’ military.

• £1 million pledged for Gaza humanitarian aid, including rapid-deploy hospital funding.

Scotland will stop providing public funds to companies supplying arms to ‘Israel,’ First Minister John Swinney announced on Wednesday. He also urged the UK government to withdraw from the proposed UK-‘Israel’ Free Trade Agreement, negotiations for which were suspended by London in May.

Speaking in Holyrood, Swinney said new grants or investments from the Scottish government, Enterprise Agencies, and the Scottish National Investment Bank will not go to defense companies whose products or services are linked to countries “where there is plausible evidence of genocide being committed,” including ‘Israel.’

“Any defense company seeking support from the Scottish government will have to demonstrate that its products are not involved militarily with Israel,” Swinney added.

The First Minister also called on the UK government to take action consistent with international law, citing the duty to respond where there is a serious risk of genocide.

In parallel, Swinney announced a £400,000 ($537,000) grant to Kids Operating Room, a Scottish charity, to establish a Gaza HOPES Field Readiness Hub in Scotland, intended to unlock $15 million in additional funding for a rapidly deployable hospital in Gaza. He also pledged a further £600,000 to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs’ Humanitarian Fund for the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

His announcement comes ahead of a parliamentary debate on a Scottish Greens amendment calling for an immediate boycott of ‘Israel’ and companies alleged to be complicit in violence in Gaza and settlements in the occupied West Bank.

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar described the situation in Gaza as “beyond intolerable.” He called for an end to the bloodshed and referred to ‘Israeli’ Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a “war criminal,” citing ongoing International Criminal Court investigations. Sarwar welcomed the UK government’s commitment to recognize the state of Palestine.