UK lawmakers detained by Israel shocked by being denied access

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Two British MPs who were refused entry and briefly detained by Israel while on a trip to visit the West Bank say they’re “astounded” at the Israeli authorities’ actions.

Abtisam Mohamed and Yuan Yang, from the governing Labour Party, flew from London to Israel as part of a parliamentary delegation but were blocked from entering the country and deported.

They were barred because they were suspected of plans to “document the activities of security forces and spread anti-Israel hatred”, Sky News reported, citing the Israeli immigration ministry.

“We’re astounded at the unprecedented step taken by the Israeli authorities to refuse British MPs entry on our trip to visit the occupied West Bank,” Mohamed and Yang said in a joint statement on Sunday.

The pair said it was “vital that parliamentarians are able to witness, firsthand, the situation in the occupied Palestinian territory”.

They said they had spoken out in parliament in recent months on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the importance of complying with international humanitarian law.

They said they and other members of parliament should “feel free to speak truthfully” without fear of being targeted.

“We had come on an MPs’ delegation to visit humanitarian aid projects and communities in the West Bank, with UK charity partners who have over a decade of experience in taking parliamentary delegations,” they said.

“We thank them, the staff of the British Embassy in Tel Aviv, the British Consulate in Jerusalem, the Middle East Minister and the Foreign Secretary for their tireless support.”

Britain’s deputy finance minister Darren Jones has told BBC television that Mohamed and Yang were on their way home.

Earlier, UK foreign secretary David Lammy said it was “unacceptable” that Israel had detained the pair and denied them entry.

A man wearing a dark blue suit, sitting down.

UK foreign secretary David Lammy said it was “unacceptable” that Mohamed and Yang had been denied entry and detained by Israel. Source: Getty / Dan Kitwood

“It is unacceptable, counterproductive, and deeply concerning that two British MPs on a parliamentary delegation to Israel have been detained and refused entry by the Israeli authorities,” Lammy said in a statement.

“I have made clear to my counterparts in the Israeli government that this is no way to treat British parliamentarians, and we have been in contact with both MPs tonight to offer our support.

“The UK government’s focus remains securing a return to the ceasefire and negotiations to stop the bloodshed, free the hostages and end the conflict in Gaza.”