A REPORT in a right-wing newspaper went “way over the line” and explicitly tried to link Humza Yousaf to terrorism, the First Minister’s spokesperson has said.

Speaking to journalists at Holyrood on Tuesday, the spokesperson hit out at a report in the Telegraph accusing Yousaf of having overruled official advice to give £250,000 in funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA).

On November 2, 2023, the First Minister announced the donation to UNRWA as he met officials from the organisation. At the time, his parents-in-law were among millions trapped in the Israeli siege of Gaza.

Over the weekend, the Telegraph reported that Yousaf was being accused of overriding officials’ recommendations to give Unicef, a different UN agency, between £100,000 and £200,000.

Yousaf allegedly told officials that, since he was about to meet senior UNRWA delegates in Edinburgh, “we should just announce an extra £250,000 to them”.

That paper’s initial story further stated: “The Telegraph understands that a report has been made to the Metropolitan Police’s anti-terror hotline.”

It did not say who had made the report or when. Tory MSP Stephen Kerr was quoted as saying Yousaf had “some serious explaining to do” and “may very well have broken the [ministerial] code”

Asked about the incident and Yousaf’s decision to give money to UNRWA, his official spokesperson told journalists: "A decision was taken that took the view that there needed to be much more flexibility in terms of humanitarian support provided rather than being restricted to essential water supplies and basically water and hygiene.

"At the end of the day, we're talking about two United Nations agencies."

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They insisted that advisers advising and ministers deciding was standard government methodology across the UK.

Addressing the Telegraph article, Yousaf’s spokesperson said: “I think the thing certainly for me that put it way over the line was the reference to a report being made to the Scotland Yard anti-terror hotline.

“That is clearly, explicitly an attempt to draw some totally bizarre, spurious connection between the First Minister and terrorism.”

The spokesperson said this was “wholly outrageous” and “wholly objectionable”.

UNRWA has since been at the centre of controversy surrounding Israeli accusations that members of its staff were involved in the October 7 attacks by Hamas.

Several countries, including the UK, announced a pause in support for the relief agency while investigations take place.

Channel 4 examined the Israeli dossier attacking UNRWA staff, saying it was “just six pages long”.

Lindsey Hilsum, the broadcaster’s international editor, asked: “Why did the donors including the UK withdraw funding on such flimsy unproven allegations?”

The Israeli dossier was first handed to US officials on Friday, January 26, according to the New York Times.

On that same day, the International Court of Justice ordered Israel to take all measures within its power to prevent genocide after a case brought against it by South Africa.