Pair of UK Labour MKs planning to visit West Bank denied entry to Israel

A pair of UK Labour lawmakers planning to visit the West Bank say they have been denied entry to Israel.

As part of a group organized by the Council for Arab-British Understanding, MPs Simon Opher and Peter Prinsley were also due to hold meetings in Jerusalem with British diplomats and human rights groups, according to a statement from the former’s office quoted by the Guardian.

“It is deeply regrettable that Israeli authorities prevented them from seeing first-hand the grave challenges facing medical facilities in the region and from hearing the British government’s assessment of the situation on the ground,” the statement says, adding that the purpose of the trip was to “enable members of parliament to witness the vital medical and humanitarian work of a range of organizations including Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP) in the occupied West Bank.”

There was no immediate comment from the Israeli Embassy in London or the Foreign Ministry.