Monday, April 7, 2025 - Britain’s Foreign Secretary David Lammy has condemned the detention and deportation of two British lawmakers by Israeli authorities, calling the action “unacceptable, counterproductive, and deeply concerning.”
The Labour Party MPs, Yuan Yang and Abtisam Mohamed, had
flown from London to Israel as part of a parliamentary delegation but were
denied entry and sent back, according to reports from British media.
“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 issued Saturday.
“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,” he added.
Lammy emphasized the UK government’s priority in the ongoing
Middle East conflict, stating, “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 ignited a domestic political dispute, with
Conservative MP and opposition leader Kemi Badenoch commenting on Sky News that
she was “very concerned about a lot of the rhetoric” from Labour MPs on Israel
and was “not surprised” the pair were detained.
In response, Lammy took to X (formerly Twitter), writing,
“It’s disgraceful you are cheerleading another country for detaining and
deporting two British MPs.”
The controversy comes amid escalating violence in the Gaza
Strip. Since Israel resumed military operations last month, ending a temporary
ceasefire, it has pushed deeper into Gaza in what it describes as an effort to
pressure Hamas militants to release hostages.
According to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry, 1,249
people have been killed since the renewed offensive, raising the total death
toll in Gaza since the war began to 50,609. The conflict erupted after Hamas
launched a deadly attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, resulting in 1,218
deaths, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official
figures.
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