Britain’s Foreign Secretary David Lammy has strongly criticised the detention and deportation of two British Members of Parliament by Israeli authorities, calling the move “unacceptable, counterproductive, and deeply concerning.”
The Labour MPs, Yuan Yang and Abtisam Mohamed, were part of a parliamentary delegation that flew from London to Israel but were denied entry and sent back, according to UK media reports.
“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 on Saturday.
He added, “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.”
Lammy also reaffirmed the UK government’s focus on the ongoing Middle East crisis: “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 sparked political tensions at home. Conservative MP and opposition figure Kemi Badenoch told Sky News she was “very concerned about a lot of the rhetoric” coming from Labour MPs regarding Israel, and said she was “not surprised” the two were detained.
In response, Lammy posted on X (formerly Twitter): “It’s disgraceful you are cheerleading another country for detaining and deporting two British MPs.”
The controversy unfolds against the backdrop of ongoing violence in Gaza. Since Israel resumed its military operations last month—ending a temporary ceasefire—it has intensified its campaign in Gaza, aiming to pressure Hamas into releasing hostages.
According to the Gaza health ministry, which is run by Hamas (a group designated as a terrorist organisation by countries including the US, UK, and EU), 1,249 people have been killed since the offensive resumed, bringing the total death toll in Gaza to 50,609. The war began after Hamas launched a deadly attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1,218 people, mostly civilians, based on Israeli official figures compiled by AFP.
