Two Labor MPs said they were “surprised” to be denied entry into Israel after arriving in the country.
Abtisam Mohamed and Yuan Yang said it was “critical” MPs who could “see, witness, and witness, this is the situation in the occupied Palestinian territory”.
The country’s Population and Immigration Bureau said they were denied entry because they intend to “spread hate speech” against Israel.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy criticized the Israeli authorities, calling the move “unacceptable, counterproductive and deeply concerned.”
Yang is a member of MP for Earley and Woodley, and Mohamed, of Sheffield Central, flew to Israel from London Luton Airport and had two aides on Saturday afternoon.
Israeli immigration authorities said Interior Minister Moshe Arbel denied all four passengers after being questioned. It accuses them of traveling “record security forces”.
The British Foreign Office said the group was part of a parliamentary delegation – however, Israel’s Immigration Agency challenged the claim, saying the delegation has not yet been recognized by any Israeli officials.
The MP said the trip was organized with British charities that “had a decade of experience in the parliamentary delegation”.
“We are two of two members of Congress who have spoken in parliament in recent months about the Israel-Palestinian conflict and the importance of compliance with international humanitarian law,” they said in a joint statement.
“The MP should be at will to tell the truth in the House of Commons without worrying about being targeted.”
A spokesman for the Ministry of Interior said that on Sunday, 06:00 local time (04:00 BST), members of Congress have left the country.
Rami said the Foreign Ministry had been in touch with the two MPs, adding: “I have told colleagues in the Israeli government that this is not a way to treat British MPs.”
Yang and Mohamed – first elected in 2024 – have intervened several times in the Israel-Hamas conflict in parliament.
In February, Mohamed launched a cross-party letter signed by 61 MPs and the House of Lords calling for a ban on Israeli goods in the Palestinian territory and a comment from the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
She also criticized Israel for hiding humanitarian aid from Gaza lands, and told the House of Commons in October that international law “banned civilians as a way of war” and referred to humanitarian organizations’ claims on “ethnic cleanliness” on the ground in Gaza.
In January, Yang made a speech to impose sanctions on Israeli ministers Itama Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich after they recommended the establishment of Israeli settlements in northern Gaza to encourage Palestinians to leave.
She also highlighted the dangerous conditions facing journalists and medical professionals when facing the Palestinian Territory.
During the war in Gaza, protests, violence and attacks occurred in Israeli forces in the West Bank. Hundreds of people died there.
Israeli forces carried out a long-term operation in the occupied Palestinian territory, and two Palestinians were killed on Friday.
The current war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas combatants launched an unexpected attack on Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages back to Gaza.
Since then, Hamas in Gaza – Ministry of Operations and Health said more than 50,000 people have been killed. It said 1,309 people have died since the ceasefire on March 18.
“The focus of the British government is still on ensuring a return to a ceasefire and negotiations are conducted to stop the bloodshed, release the hostages and end the conflict in Gaza,” Rami said.
