Two British Labour MPs, Yuan Yang and Abtisam Mohamed, have been detained and deported by Israeli authorities after arriving in the country as part of a parliamentary delegation. According to the Israeli immigration ministry, the pair were allegedly suspected of intending to “document the activities of security forces and spread anti-Israel hatred,” a claim reported by Sky News. Their refusal of entry has sparked intense criticism from UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy, who described the move as “counterproductive and deeply concerning.” He emphasised that this was not the way to treat British parliamentarians and confirmed that the government offered full support to the two MPs.
In a joint statement posted on social media, Yang and Mohamed expressed shock at the unprecedented decision, stating that it is essential for members of parliament to witness the reality in the occupied Palestinian territories. They highlighted that both had spoken out in Parliament about the Israel-Palestine conflict and stressed the importance of upholding international humanitarian law. The MPs further asserted that elected representatives must be free to speak openly in the House of Commons without fear of retaliation or targeting.
The incident comes at a time when Israel is facing increasing international scrutiny following the deaths of 15 Palestinian medics last month. Recently surfaced video footage appears to contradict Israeli claims that the emergency vehicles were not signalling, showing Red Crescent and Palestinian Civil Defence workers approaching an area with flashing emergency lights and clearly marked vehicles. Within minutes of arrival, they were met with sustained gunfire, resulting in the deaths of 14 medics and a UN staff member.
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Human rights lawyer Sir Geoffrey Nice, who led the prosecution of Slobodan Milošević, has added his voice to the growing chorus demanding accountability. In an interview with Al Jazeera, he expressed deep scepticism over the notion that the killings were the actions of rogue military personnel, suggesting that they reflected broader operational norms. The killings occurred amidst renewed Israeli military operations that began on 18 March, following the collapse of a short-lived ceasefire with Hamas. Since then, over 1,300 people have reportedly been killed in Gaza, according to the enclave’s Ministry of Health.