Two members of the UK Parliament and one Scottish Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) were held by Israeli authorities for approximately eight hours and subsequently denied entry to the West Bank on Monday. The delegation, which included Labour’s Clive Lewis, SNP’s Lara Bird, and Scottish Greens' Kate Nevens, attempted to cross into the territory from Jordan as part of a visit organized by Progressive International.

The group had planned to meet with Palestinian academics, students, and civil society groups, as well as participate in the olive harvest—a seasonal event that Progressive International highlighted as increasingly targeted amid reported attacks on farmers in the region. Other members of the delegation included former Labour MP Sam Tarry and Josu Estarrona Elizondo, a senator from Spain.

According to Progressive International, the delegation was stopped at the border while attempting to enter the West Bank. Clive Lewis described the experience on the social media platform X, stating they were detained and questioned for over eight hours, during which they were made to feel as though they had committed a wrongdoing simply by seeking entry. He emphasized that the group had done nothing illegal.

Lara Bird, newly elected to represent Arbroath and Broughty Ferry in Scotland, said she sought to show solidarity with Palestinians facing violence during the olive harvest but was denied access without explanation. Kate Nevens added that Israeli forces appeared intent on preventing the group from witnessing what she described as “demolished homes” and the hardships caused by settler activity, as well as the broader hardships linked to the ongoing occupation.

In response to the incident, Ed Miliband, the UK’s Foreign Secretary, expressed deep concern over the detention and refusal of entry.

The Israeli embassy in London issued a statement denying the delegation's claims and said the group was refused entry because they failed to cooperate with border officials and provided false information about the purpose of their visit. The embassy did not elaborate further on the specifics of the discrepancies it cited.

The incident adds to ongoing tensions regarding access to the West Bank, where Israel exercises varying degrees of control over movement and security. It underscores the sensitive nature of international visits to the territory and the challenges faced by foreign delegations seeking to engage directly with Palestinian communities.