Britain’s Foreign Secretary David Lammy has condemned the detention and deportation of two British lawmakers by Israeli authorities, calling the action “unacceptable, counterproductive, and deeply concerning.”
The Labour Party MPs, Yuan Yang and Abtisam Mohamed, had flown from London to Israel as part of a parliamentary delegation but were denied entry and sent back, according to reports from British media.
“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 issued Saturday.
“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,” he added.
Lammy emphasized the UK government’s priority in the ongoing Middle East conflict, stating, “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.”
The incident has ignited a domestic political dispute, with Conservative MP and opposition leader Kemi Badenoch commenting on Sky News that she was “very concerned about a lot of the rhetoric” from Labour MPs on Israel and was “not surprised” the pair were detained.
In response, Lammy took to X (formerly Twitter), writing, “It’s disgraceful you are cheerleading another country for detaining and deporting two British MPs.”
The controversy comes amid escalating violence in the Gaza Strip. Since Israel resumed military operations last month, ending a temporary ceasefire, it has pushed deeper into Gaza in what it describes as an effort to pressure Hamas militants to release hostages.
According to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry, 1,249 people have been killed since the renewed offensive, raising the total death toll in Gaza since the war began to 50,609. The conflict erupted after Hamas launched a deadly attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, resulting in 1,218 deaths, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures.