Two Labour MPs who were denied entry to Israel have said they are “astounded” by the decision.
Abtisam Mohamed and Yuan Yang have said it is “vital” that parliamentarians are able to “witness first-hand” the situation on the ground in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
The current war in Gaza began on 7 October 2023, when Hamas fighters launched an attack inside Israel, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages back to Gaza. Since then, Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry says more than 50,000 people have been killed in Israel’s retaliatory military offensive.
The MPs were refused entry because they intended to “spread hate speech” against Israel, the nation’s population and immigration authority claimed.
In a joint statement posted on X, Ms Mohamed and Ms Yang on Sunday said: “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.
“It is vital that parliamentarians are able to witness first-hand the situation in the occupied Palestinian territory.”
The foreign secretary, David Lammy, said it was “deeply concerning” that they had not been allowed into the country.
The Israeli immigration authority said Interior Minister Moshe Arbel had denied entry to all four passengers after they were questioned. It accused them of travelling to “document the security forces”.
The Foreign Office said the group was part of a parliamentary delegation – however Israel’s immigration authority contested this claim, saying the delegation had not been acknowledged by any Israeli official. The MPs said the trip had been organised with UK charities that had “over a decade of experience in taking parliamentary delegations”.
“We are two, out of scores of MPs, who have spoken out in parliament in recent months on the Israel-Palestine conflict and the importance of complying with international humanitarian law,” they said in their joint statement. “parliamentarians should feel free to speak truthfully in the House of Commons, without fear of being targeted.”
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch backed Israel’s decision, arguing that “countries should be able to control their borders” and expressing “concern” about the rhetoric of some MPs around Israel.
But Emily Thornberry, chairman of parliament’s foreign affairs committee, said Israel “will rue the day that they did this to British parliamentarians”.
She told the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg: “These are two women who are potential leaders, people listen to what they say… and Israel is badly advised to try to alienate and humiliate them and treat them in this way.
“Israel really needs to start making friends as opposed to alienating people. It’s an insult to Britain, it’s an insult to parliament and I am outraged.”
Ms Yang represents the constituency of Earley and Woodley, in Berkshire, while Ms Mohamed represents Sheffield Central. Both were elected to Parliament last July.
The foreign secretary said he had “made clear” to his counterparts in the Israeli government that it is “no way to treat British parliamentarians”.
Mr Lammy said: “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.
“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.”
