British Foreign Secretary David Lammy has said it is "unacceptable" and deeply concerning that Israel detained two UK Members of Parliament and denied them entry to the country.
Yuan Yang and Abtisam Mohamed, from the governing Labour Party, flew from London to Israel but were blocked from entering and deported, British media reported.
The pair were refused entry because they intended to spread "hateful rhetoric" against Israel and the Israeli population, the country's Interior Ministry said in a statement reported by Israeli media.
"It is unacceptable, counterproductive, and deeply concerning that two British MPs on a parliamentary delegation to Israel have been detained and refused entry by the Israeli authorities," Mr Lammy said in a statement on Saturday.
"I have made clear to my counterparts in the Israeli government that this is no way to treat British parliamentarians, and we have been in contact with both MPs tonight to offer our support."
Since Israel renewed its military operations last month against Hamas, ending a short-lived truce, it has pushed to seize territory in Gaza in what it says is a strategy to force the militants to free remaining hostages.
The health ministry in Gaza says more than 1,200 people have been killed since Israel resumed intense bombing last month, with the overall death toll since the war began now at more than 50,000.
"The UK government's focus remains securing a return to the ceasefire and negotiations to stop the bloodshed, free the hostages and end the conflict in Gaza," Mr Lammy said.
