FOREIGN Secretary David Lammy has criticised Israel for denying two Labour MPs entry to the country.

Yuan Yang and Abtisam Mohamed, who were elected to Parliament in July, said they had made the trip with charity partners as part of an MPs’ delegation “to visit humanitarian aid projects and communities in the West Bank.”

They were denied entry because they were suspected of wanting to “document Israeli security forces and spread hateful rhetoric against Israel,” the population authority said, according to the Times of Israel.

Mr Lammy called it “unacceptable” for British members of Parliament on a parliamentary delegation to be detained in that way and said he had spoken to his Israeli counterpart about the matter.

In a statement this morning, Ms Mohamed and Ms Yang said: “We’re astounded at the unprecedented step taken by the Israeli authorities to refuse British MPs entry on our trip to visit the occupied West Bank.

“It is vital that parliamentarians are able to witness first-hand the situation in the occupied Palestinian territory.

“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.

“Parliamentarians should feel free to speak truthfully in the House of Commons without fear of being targeted.”

Foreign affairs committee chairwoman Dame Emily Thornberry said the refusal of entry into Israel had left her “so angry.”

The Council for Arab-British Understanding and Medical Aid for Palestinians said they had organised the delegation to Israel that included the Labour MPs.

A statement posted on the websites of both organisations said: “On arrival at Ben Gurion Airport on April 5 2025, two British MPs travelling as part of a parliamentary delegation were questioned and subsequently denied entry and deported by Israeli authorities.

“This visit was part of that long-standing programme.

“When questioned, the group was clear, open and transparent about the aims and objectives of the visit, which included visiting a range of projects run by humanitarian and development organisations operating in the West Bank.”

On Saturday night, Mr Lammy said that he had “made clear” to his counterparts in the Israeli government that it is “no way to treat British parliamentarians.”

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch was accused of poor judgment by the cabinet minister after saying that she was “not surprised” the MPs were detained.