The article discusses the refusal of two British Labour MPs, Abtisam Mohamed and Yuan Yang, to enter Israel as part of a trip to observe conditions in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. They expressed their shock at this unprecedented decision by Israeli authorities, emphasizing the importance of parliamentarians witnessing the situation first-hand amidst escalating violence and a significant humanitarian crisis following the current conflict in Gaza. The article also underlines the role of The Independent in providing accessible, fact-based journalism across political divides without paywalls.
In a joint statement posted on X, Ms. Mohamed and Ms. Yang expressed, "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 on the ground in the Occupied Palestinian Territories."
The current war in Gaza began on 7 October 2023, when Hamas fighters launched an attack inside Israel, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages back to Gaza. Since then, Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry says more than 50,000 people have been killed in Israel's retaliatory military offensive.
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