LONDON: Israel has detained and deported two British Members of Parliament (MPs), Yuan Yang and Abtisam Mohamed, as part of a parliamentary delegation to the country.
The MPs, who were travelling from the UK to Israel as part of a visit to review the situation in Gaza, were barred entry on Saturday after Israeli authorities accused them of intending to “document the activities of security forces and spread anti-Israel hatred.”
The UK Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, condemned the move, calling it “unacceptable, counterproductive, and deeply concerning.”
Lammy emphasised that the British government had expressed its displeasure to Israeli counterparts, offering support to the MPs.
“This is no way to treat British parliamentarians,” Lammy said in a statement. “The UK government’s focus remains on securing a return to the ceasefire, and negotiations to stop the bloodshed, free the hostages, and end the conflict in Gaza,” he added.
The two Labour MPs, who were “astounded” by the decision, expressed their shock at being denied entry.
In a joint statement, they termed the action by Israeli authorities as an “unprecedented step” and stressed the importance of parliamentarians being able to witness the situation in the Palestinian territories first-hand.
“Parliamentarians should feel free to speak truthfully in the House of Commons, without fear of being targeted,” they stated.
The MPs were part of a larger parliamentary delegation, but Israel reportedly rejected their claim to be part of an official visit, asserting that no such delegation had been arranged.
The Israeli immigration ministry further claimed that their visit’s purpose was to document the activities of Israeli security forces and spread “hate speech” against Israel.
The two MPs were deported and are on their way back to London, UK officials said.
Backlash over killing of Gaza medics
The detention of the British MPs comes amid growing international outrage over the deaths of Palestinian medics in Gaza.
New video evidence has cast doubt on Israel’s explanation for the killing of 15 medics on March 23, 2025, in Rafah.
The footage, obtained by The New York Times, shows ambulances and emergency vehicles with flashing lights approaching the scene when they were targeted by Israeli gunfire.
According to the Palestinian Red Crescent, eight Red Crescent workers, six Civil Defence personnel, and a UN staffer were killed during the attack. Initially, the Israeli military claimed the vehicles were targeted after failing to display emergency signals.
However, the newly released footage contradicts this version of events, showing the vehicles with flashing emergency lights.
Geoffrey Nice, a prominent British human rights lawyer, has called for an international investigation into the killings, questioning whether Israeli military forces’ actions were in accordance with established protocol or were part of a deliberate strategy.
Nice described the incident as a “terribly serious war crime” if the claims of a “rogue element” within the Israeli military were found to be false.
The growing scrutiny over the deaths of medics adds to the pressure on Israel following its resumption of military operations in Gaza after the collapse of a temporary ceasefire in March.
Since then, over 1,300 people have been killed, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
