Yuan Yang and Abtisam Mohamed from Britain’s governing Labour Party visited as part of a parliamentary delegation and were barred because they were suspected of plans to “document the activities of security forces and spread anti-Israel hatred”, Sky News reported, citing the Israeli immigration ministry.

“They are on their way home now,” Britain’s deputy finance minister Darren Jones told BBC television.

“The way that my colleagues have been treated is unacceptable, as the foreign secretary has said.”

Both MPs had flown to Israel from Luton on Saturday, Sky News said.

“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,” foreign secretary David Lammy said in a statement released late on Saturday.

“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,” he added.

Israel’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.