Israel Detains, Deports 2 Female UK MPs; Britain Calls It 'Unacceptable, Deeply Troubling'
Britain's Foreign Secretary David Lammy on Saturday condemned Israel's decision to detain and deport two British MPs, describing the action as "unacceptable" and deeply troubling.
Yuan Yang and Abtisam Mohamed, both Labour Party MPs, had travelled from London to Israel as part of a parliamentary delegation but were reportedly denied entry and subsequently deported, according to UK media.
In an official statement, Lammy said: "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.
"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.
"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 comes amid heightened tensions following the collapse of a brief truce in Israel's ongoing conflict with Hamas. Israel has intensified its military campaign in Gaza, claiming it aims to pressure militants into releasing hostages.
According to the health ministry in Hamas-controlled Gaza, 1,249 people have been killed since Israel resumed heavy bombardments last month, bringing the total death toll since the conflict began to 50,609.
The war was triggered by the 7 October 2023 Hamas-led assault on Israel, which resulted in 1,218 deaths, mostly civilians, based on an AFP tally using official Israeli data.
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