'Unacceptable and deeply concerning': UK minister condemns Israel's detention of British MPs

The Minister for the Middle East, Hamish Falconer, has condemned the treatment of two British MPs who were detained and refused entry to Israel over the weekend, calling the move “unacceptable” and “deeply concerning” during a statement to the House of Commons.Yuan Yang, MP for Earley and Woodley, and Abtisam Mohamed, MP for Sheffield Central, had both received entry clearance before travelling as part of a parliamentary delegation to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. However, on arrival at Tel Aviv airport, they were held for six hours by Israeli immigration officials. Falconer told MPs, “When I spoke to them at 8.30pm, they believed they were to be detained overnight without their mobile phones.”Following intervention by Foreign Secretary David Lammy and Falconer, the MPs were released from detention but still barred from entering Israel. They were flown back to the UK early on Sunday morning.“It is my understanding that this is the first time a British MP has been barred from entering Israel,” Falconer said. “That decision appears to have been taken on the basis of the comments made in this Chamber.” He continued, “It is no way to treat democratically elected representatives of a close partner nation. We have made this clear at the highest levels in Israel.”Falconer confirmed that Foreign Office officials were involved in assisting the MPs and paid tribute to the pair, who he said “behaved with great dignity”. He added that they had planned to visit humanitarian projects in Gaza and the West Bank to witness the impact of the ongoing conflict and rising settler violence.“These visits are commonplace for MPs from across this House and from all parties,” he said, pointing out that more than 160 MPs have taken part in similar trips, often supported by groups such as Medical Aid for Palestinians and the Council on Arab British Understanding.Falconer warned the Israeli government that barring MPs “will only damage the image of the Israeli government in the eyes of Honourable Members across the House.” He also addressed the wider crisis in Gaza, citing the deaths of 15 paramedics in Rafah on 23 March and reiterated the UK’s call for a ceasefire. “The killing of 15 paramedics and rescue workers… was one of the deadliest attacks on humanitarian staff since the war began,” he said.“These deaths are an outrage and we must see this incident investigated transparently.”“A ceasefire is the only way we will bring the conflict to an end,” he said.