UK MPs and MSP say Israel held them eight hours, then denied West Bank entry

Centre · 2Two MPs and an MSP say Israeli authorities detained them for eight hours and denied them access to the West Bank. 1 2 Centre · 1They are Labour MP Clive Lewis, SNP MP Lara Bird and Scottish Greens MSP Kate Nevens. They tried to enter on Monday as part of a delegation organised by Progressive International. 1 Centre · 2The delegation also included former Labour MP Sam Tarry and a former member of the Basque senate, described by the Evening Standard as Spanish Senator Josu Estarrona Elizondo. Bird said the group had 23 members. 1 2

Centre · 1According to Progressive International, the group was stopped while crossing from Jordan. It had planned meetings with Palestinian academics, students and civil society organisations, and to join the olive harvest after what the organisation describes as "mounting attacks" on farmers. 1 Centre · 2Lewis said in a post on X that the group was held and interrogated for more than eight hours and made to feel as though they had done something wrong. He said they had done nothing wrong and went to show solidarity with Palestinians. He also said they knew crossing risked detention, interrogation and being turned away. 1 2 Centre · 1Bird, who was elected this year for Arbroath and Broughty Ferry, said they were turned away with no reason given. She said she had come to stand with Palestinians attacked while harvesting olives, and accused the IDF and settlers of violence against Palestinians. 1

Centre · 2Nevens called the experience "frightening" but said the group was able to "leave safely". She said it was a small fraction of what Palestinians face at the same border, and that Israeli forces did not want them to see demolished homes or settler violence. 2 1 Centre · 3The BBC, Anadolu Agency and GB News report that the Israeli military announced on Monday that all West Bank land crossings would be closed as part of increased security measures during Tuesday's national elections. The Evening Standard says reports suggest the two MPs could have sought permission from the Israeli government. 2 3 4 Centre · 1The BBC adds context: about 2,000 Palestinian residents have been displaced in Hebron in recent days, in what it describes as a reprisal for the killing of two Israeli soldiers by Palestinian gunmen. It also reports attacks on Palestinians during the olive harvest. An SNP spokesperson said the party was "proud to stand with the Palestinian people". 2

Centre · 1Anadolu Agency, which says Bird and Nevens posted about the incident (Bird on Instagram), reports a larger Hebron figure: the Hebron municipality said 4,969 Palestinians from 780 families have been displaced from the Deir Bahha and Al-Jilda areas since the Israeli military campaign began on Friday, with the offensive in its fifth consecutive day. 3 Right · 1GB News, which describes the operation as ordered by Benjamin Netanyahu after two Israeli soldiers were killed by two Palestinian gunmen at a checkpoint, also recalls that last year Labour MPs Abtisam Mohamed and Yuan Yang were denied entry to Israel, and says Israel has since banned more than a dozen public figures, including Zack Polanski and Jeremy Corbyn. 4 Centre · 3The BBC and Evening Standard say the Israeli embassy and the Foreign Office had been contacted for comment, and GB News says it approached the Foreign Office. No Israeli response is reported, so the reason for the refusal is unconfirmed beyond the closure announcement. 2 1 4