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Yuan Yang and Abtisam Mohamed: Denying Labour MPs entry to Israel 'unacceptable', says David Lammy Yuan Yang and Abtisam Mohamed 'astounded' after being denied entry to Israel
(about 2 hours later)
Abtisam Mohamed and Yuan Yang Abtisam Mohamed (left) and Yuan Yang have now left the country
Foreign Secretary David Lammy has criticised Israeli authorities for denying two Labour MPs entry to the country and detaining them. Two Labour MPs say they are "astounded" to have been denied entry to Israel after being detained in the country on arrival.
He described the move as "unacceptable, counterproductive, and deeply concerning", adding that the Foreign Office had been in touch with both MPs to offer support. Abtisam Mohamed and Yuan Yang said that it was "vital" parliamentarians were able to "witness, firsthand, the situation in the occupied Palestinian territory".
Abtisam Mohamed and Yuan Yang were refused entry because they intended to "spread hate speech" against Israel, the Israeli population and immigration authority said in a statement. They were refused entry because they intended to "spread hate speech" against Israel, the nation's population and immigration authority said.
Lammy said: "I have made clear to my counterparts in the Israeli government that this is no way to treat British Parliamentarians." Foreign Secretary David Lammy criticised Israeli authorities, describing the move as "unacceptable, counterproductive, and deeply concerning".
Yang, the MP for Earley and Woodley, and Mohamed, the MP for Sheffield Central, flew to the country from London Luton Airport with two aides on Saturday afternoon. Yang, the MP for Earley and Woodley, and Mohamed, the MP for Sheffield Central, flew to Israel from London Luton Airport with two aides on Saturday afternoon.
The Israeli immigration authority said Interior Minister Moshe Arbel had denied entry to all four passengers after they were questioned. It also accused them of travelling to "document the security forces". The Israeli immigration authority said Interior Minister Moshe Arbel had denied entry to all four passengers after they were questioned. It accused them of travelling to "document the security forces".
The UK Foreign Office said the group was part of a parliamentary delegation. The UK Foreign Office said the group was part of a parliamentary delegation - however Israel's immigration authority contested this claim, saying the delegation had not been acknowledged by any Israeli official.
Israel's immigration authority contested this claim, saying the delegation had not been acknowledged by any Israeli official. The MPs said the trip had been organised with UK charities that had "over a decade of experience in taking parliamentary delegations".
"We are two, out of scores of MPs, who have spoken out in Parliament in recent months on the Israel-Palestine conflict and the importance of complying with international humanitarian law," they said in a joint statement.
"Parliamentarians should feel free to speak truthful in the House of Commons, without fear of being targeted."
A spokesperson for the Interior Ministry said the MPs had left the country as of 06:00 local time (04:00 BST) on Sunday.A spokesperson for the Interior Ministry said the MPs had left the country as of 06:00 local time (04:00 BST) on Sunday.
Lammy said in a statement: "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." Lammy said the Foreign Office had been in touch with both MPs to offer support, adding: "I have made clear to my counterparts in the Israeli government that this is no way to treat British parliamentarians."
Both Yang and Mohamed - who were first elected in 2024 - have made several interventions on the Israel-Hamas conflict in Parliament.
In February, Mohamed initiated a cross-party letter, signed by 61 MPs and lords, calling for a ban on goods from Israeli settlements on Palestinian territory, citing an opinion from the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
She has also criticised Israel for withholding humanitarian aid from Gaza, telling the House of Commons in October that international law "prohibits the starvation of civilians as a method of warfare", and has mentioned humanitarian organisations' claims of "ethnic cleansing" in Gaza.
In January, Yang spoke in favour of bringing sanctions against Israeli ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, after they suggested building Israeli settlements in northern Gaza to encourage Palestinians to leave.
She has also highlighted the dangerous conditions journalists and medical professionals face while in the Palestinian territory.
During the war in Gaza, there have been protests, violent incidents and raids by Israeli forces in the West Bank. Hundreds of deaths have been reported there.
Israeli troops have been engaged in an extended operation in the occupied Palestinian territory, where two Palestinians were killed on Friday.
The current war began on 7 October 2023, when Hamas fighters launched a surprise attack on Israel, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages back to Gaza.
Since then, Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry says more than 50,000 people have been killed. It said 1,309 people have died since a ceasefire ended on 18 March.
Lammy said: "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."