Britain says Israel’s detention of two UK legislators ‘unacceptable’

LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — Britain’s Foreign Secretary David Lammy said Saturday it was “unacceptable” and deeply concerning that Israel had detained two UK lawmakers and denied them entry.

Yuan Yang and Abtisam Mohamed, from the governing Labor Party, flew from London to Israel but were blocked from entering the country and deported, British media reported.

“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.

“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.”

Since renewed military operations last month ended a short-lived truce in its war with Hamas, Israel has pushed to seize territory in the Gaza Strip in what it said was a strategy to force militants to free hostages still in captivity.

The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said 1,249 people have been killed since Israel resumed intense bombing last month, bringing the overall death toll since the war began to 50,609.

During the attack, militants also abducted 251 individuals, 58 of whom remain in captivity including 34 whom the Israeli military says are deceased.

Since the Hamas attack, Israel’s military campaign against the Palestinian group has killed at least 50,277 people in Gaza, the majority of them civilians, according to the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry.