Israeli authorities have detained and deported two British Members of Parliament upon their arrival in the country, barring their participation in a scheduled parliamentary visit.
UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy confirmed the incident, expressing serious concerns over the decision.
The two Labour MPs, Yuan Yang and Abtisam Mohamed had travelled from London to Israel on Saturday but were turned away at the border.
According to Sky News, Israeli immigration officials alleged the pair intended to document the actions of Israeli security forces and disseminate material they claimed would fuel anti-Israel sentiment.
Reacting to the development, Lammy described the Israeli move as “deeply troubling and unhelpful.”
He emphasized that British lawmakers should not be treated in such a manner and added that both MPs had received support from the UK government.
Lammy reiterated Britain’s stance on the ongoing Middle East crisis, stating the priority remains achieving a new ceasefire, ending hostilities in Gaza, freeing hostages, and restoring peace.
This incident follows a pattern of similar actions by Israel. In 2023, the Israeli government banned United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres from entering the country.
Earlier this year, two members of the European Parliament were also refused entry.
The deportation of the British lawmakers comes at a time when Israel is under increased international scrutiny.
A recent phone video has surfaced showing the moments leading up to the deaths of 15 Palestinian medics in Gaza.
Contrary to Israeli claims that the vehicles lacked emergency indicators, the footage appears to show ambulances and emergency units clearly marked and using flashing lights when they were fired upon in southern Gaza.
The shooting, which occurred before dawn on March 23, left eight Red Crescent workers, six from the Palestinian Civil Defence, and a UN employee dead. The gunfire reportedly lasted over five minutes.
The Israeli military maintains that the vehicles approached their troops “suspiciously” and were not visibly marked as emergency vehicles.
Meanwhile, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) previously concluded that allegations of genocide against Israel in Gaza were plausible, ordering the country to avoid actions that might constitute such crimes.
Adding to the criticism, Geoffrey Nice, a prominent British human rights lawyer and former lead prosecutor at the Milosevic war crimes trial, called for stronger international pressure on Israel.
In an interview with Al Jazeera, Nice challenged the notion that the medics’ deaths could be attributed to rogue soldiers.
He argued that the coordination involved in such military actions suggests institutional responsibility.
“If there’s no clear explanation, this could constitute a grave war crime,” he warned.
Since Israel resumed its military campaign on March 18 following the breakdown of a brief ceasefire with Hamas, the death toll in Gaza has risen to 1,309, according to Gaza’s Ministry of Health.