Students considering joining pro-Palestinian protests on the anniversary of the Hamas attacks on Israel should “pause” and “show some humanity”, education secretary Bridget Phillipson said.

A string of protests at universities are expected later on Tuesday, two years on from the 7 October atrocities in southern Israel.

Phillipson told Sky News: “There is, of course, within our country the fundamental right to protest. It’s a cornerstone of our democracy.

“But my message is that, as we remember the awful atrocities that took place two years ago on October 7, I would just encourage those considering taking part in protests to pause, to reflect and to understand the deep sense of loss that many people in our country will be experiencing today, not least given the appalling attacks we saw at Manchester last week.

“So my message is that whilst you might have the right to protest, I would urge people to show some humanity, to show some respect and to understand the deep sense of grief and loss that many Jewish people in our country will be experiencing today.”

People are expected to gather at the site of the 7 October massacre at the Nova music festival today, where nearly 400 Israelis were killed and dozens abducted two years ago in the border community of Reim.

Since the attack, the site has emerged as a popular memorial, with portraits of the kidnapped and fallen affixed to Israeli flags.

Bereaved families plan to erect a sukkah – a festive, temporary shelter – there for the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, which coincides with the anniversary.

There are no plans for an official ceremony at the Nova site due to the Jewish holiday.

The main memorial ceremony will be held in Tel Aviv and include musical performances and speeches.

It’s being organised by Yonatan Shamriz, whose brother, Alon, was among three hostages mistakenly killed by Israeli forces after they escaped captivity early in the war.

First minister John Swinney has said he is “very concerned” about the wellbeing of the four Scots detained by Israel last week while attempting to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza.

Some 450 people on board the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) were detained by Israel last week while sailing towards the famine-stricken strip with food and medical supplies.

Jim Hickey, Margaret Pacetta, Yvonne Ridley and Sid Khan were named by MSPs in the Scottish Parliament as the Scots being held.

Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg is also among the figures who were held in Israeli prisons.

Some activists have alleged mistreatment at the hands of Israeli guards.Israel denies the claims.

The Israeli foreign ministry said it offered voluntary deportation to all of the activists and those that remain in detention chose to stay there in order to go through a legal deportation process.

Hundreds were arrested at a Palestine Action demonstration in London on Saturday, which went ahead despite calls from Sir Keir and others in the wake of the attack on British soil, leading Amnesty International to say it should not be the job of police to arrest people “peacefully sitting down”.

Thousands of students are expected to attend rallies on Tuesday on the second anniversary of the atrocity in which 1,200 people were killed.

Read more in this report from our Whitehall editor Kate Devlin:

Greta Thunberg arrived in Greece to a cheering pro-Palestinian crowd on Monday after she and hundreds of other activists captured by Israel on the high seas were deported following an attempt to bring aid to Gaza.

Israel said it expelled 171 activists, including the climate activist, bringing the total deported so far to 341, out of 479 people it detained when it captured the flotilla attempting to break its naval blockade of Gaza.

Greece said 161 of the activists arrived on a flight to Athens on Monday, including Ms Thunberg. They included 27 Greeks, as well as citizens of nearly 20 other countries.

On the second anniversary of the October 7 attacks, Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said “the same hatred that fuelled those barbaric attacks still festers today”.

She said in a statement: “Israel, the world’s only Jewish state, has faced hatred, war and terror since the day it was founded. And yet, it has stood strong. A beacon of democracy and resilience in the Middle East.

“But two years on from the horrific massacre on October 7, we must also be honest: the same hatred that fuelled those barbaric attacks still festers today.

“We see it in the so-called ‘protests’ that turn into hate marches on our streets. We hear it in chants calling to ‘globalise the intifada’. And we saw it again, tragically, in the appalling terrorist attack on our Jewish community right here in Manchester just last week.”

She added: “It is shameful that in recognising Palestine as a state, the government has rewarded the terrorists that perpetrated the 7th October atrocities.

“Appeasement does not work. There are still 48 hostages held captive in Gaza. They must come home now.”

The UK will “always stand tall” against those who wish harm and hatred upon Jewish communities, Sir Keir Starmer said as he urged students not to protest on the second anniversary of the October 7 attacks.

Around 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage in the deadly attacks on Israel by Hamas in 2023.

Every child of Israel should be able to live alongside their Palestinian neighbours in “safety and security”, the prime minister said as he marked the anniversary.