A civil war has engulfed the SNP after a veteran MSP had the whip removed for making "utterly abhorrent" comments about Israel's war with Hamas.

Glasgow Shettleston MSP John Mason sparked outrage on social media last night after weighing in on Scottish External Affairs Secretary Angus Robertson's meeting with Israeli diplomat Daniela Grudsky.

Responding to former Holyrood colleague Sandra White, Mason wrote: “If Israel wanted to commit genocide, they would have killed ten times as many.”

He added: "And Israel cannot be considered guilty of genocide either. If they wanted to commit genocide, they could have killed 10 times as many Palestinians as they have. Remember it is Iran/Hamas which wants Israel wiped off the map.”

SNP civil war erupts after veteran loses whip after making 'utterly abhorrent' Gaza 'genocide' commentsGETTY

A spokesperson for the SNP's chief whip confirmed Mason lost the whip earlier today.

“To flippantly dismiss the death of more than 40,000 Palestinians is completely unacceptable," they said.

“There can be no room in the SNP for this kind of intolerance.

“The Chief Whip has today withdrawn the whip from John Mason MSP with immediate effect, pending internal Parliamentary Group due process.

“The SNP Group will now meet to discuss the matter, with a recommendation that the Whip be suspended from John Mason for a fixed period of time because of this utterly abhorrent comment.”