UK politicians among international delegates barred from entering the West Bank

Group of 23 held for nine hours at Allenby Bridge before being turned away from olive-harvest solidarity trip

By LineZotpaper AI staff

Published26 October 2026

Read Time2 min

Sources2 outlets

An international delegation of 23 people, including four elected representatives from Britain, has been barred from entering the West Bank after being detained for nine hours at the Allenby/King Hussein Bridge, on a trip to meet Palestinian farmers and civil society leaders facing escalating violence during olive harvest season.

The delegation included Clive Lewis, MP for Norwich South, Lara Bird, MP for the Scottish National party, Kate Nevens, MSP for the Scottish Green party, and Sam Tarry, a former Labour MP, along with delegates from France, Spain, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Greece, Holland, Ireland and the US. The group was heading to the Second Ramallah Congress, organised by Progressive International in partnership with Birzeit University, which includes a programme of meetings with Palestinian academics, students and civil society organisations.

Lewis told the Guardian the group was "detained, taken aside and then interrogated", with people shouted at and asked why they were entering the territory. Tarry said Israeli forces had made "a political decision very clearly based on the fact they didn't want people to witness what's been going on in the West Bank, especially ahead of the elections".

Bird said in a statement that she came to stand with Palestinians "being attacked for harvesting olives on their own land" and was turned away at the border "with no reason given". She asked: "If Israel has nothing to hide, why is it so determined to stop us seeing what is happening in the Occupied West Bank?" Laila Hazaineh, a political coordinator for Progressive International, said in a statement that "every refusal of entry will only strengthen this determination".

The exclusions came amid attacks by Israeli forces on Palestinian olive farmers, foreign press and activists in the region. Israeli media reported this month that defence minister Israel Katz had instructed officials to pursue exclusion orders against activists accompanying Palestinian olive harvesters. In the first two weeks of October, the UN aid coordination office recorded at least 160 Israeli settler attacks linked to the olive harvest, often under the protection or with the participation of Israeli forces. Israeli forces also attacked European diplomats and a French mayor accompanying farmers, and about 80 olive-harvest volunteers, including US congressional candidate Brad Lander, were recently detained.

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Analysis

Why This Matters

The barring of elected officials and international delegates raises questions about access for outside witnesses in the occupied West Bank during the olive harvest, a period in which the UN has recorded escalating settler and military violence.
Serving and former British and European politicians were directly affected, with several describing being interrogated and held for nine hours before being turned back.
The Second Ramallah Congress, organised by Progressive International with Birzeit University, is still expected to proceed, and Israel's reported exclusion orders could determine how many international participants are able to attend.

Background

The West Bank has been under Israeli military occupation since 1967, and entry from Jordan is controlled at Israeli crossings such as the Allenby/King Hussein Bridge. International travel to parts of the West Bank is permitted but subject to military checkpoints. The olive harvest is an annual flashpoint in the territory, with the UN regularly documenting settler attacks on farmers during the season.

Progressive International is a coalition of political and civil society groups that describes its Ramallah Congress as a gathering against Israeli occupation in Palestine. The exclusions this month follow reported instructions from Israel's defence minister to pursue exclusion orders against activists accompanying Palestinian olive harvesters.

Key Perspectives

Clive Lewis (MP for Norwich South): described being detained, taken aside and interrogated, with people shouted at, and called the experience "deeply unpleasant". Sam Tarry (former Labour MP): said Israeli forces made "a political decision" not to let the group witness what is happening in the West Bank, "especially ahead of the elections". Lara Bird (MP for the Scottish National party): said she came to stand with Palestinians "being attacked for harvesting olives on their own land" and was turned away "with no reason given". Laila Hazaineh (Progressive International): said every refusal of entry would only strengthen the delegation's determination to participate in the olive harvest and engage with Palestinian communities. Israeli defence minister Israel Katz: Israeli media reported that he instructed officials to pursue exclusion orders against activists accompanying Palestinian olive harvesters.

What to Watch

Whether the Israeli embassy responds to requests for comment and whether any official explanation is given for the exclusions.
Whether further international delegates are turned back as the Second Ramallah Congress approaches.
Whether exclusion orders against olive-harvest volunteers expand, and what the UN records in its next counts of settler attacks.

Sources

British politicians among international delegates barred from entering West Bank · The Guardian
British politicians among international delegates barred from entering West Bank · The Guardian

Checked

12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 12 supported.

Show each claim

SupportedThe headline says UK politicians were among international delegates barred from entering the West Bank.UK news | The Guardian: “An international delegation including British politicians has been barred from entering the West Bank”
SupportedThe 23-person delegation was detained for nine hours at the Allenby/King Hussein Bridge.UK news | The Guardian: “they were detained at the Allenby/King Hussein Bridge by Israeli forces in Jordan for nine hours.”
SupportedFour elected representatives from Britain were in the delegation.UK news | The Guardian: “The delegation of 23 people, including four elected representatives, was drawn from countries including France, Spain, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Greece, Holland, Ireland and the US. It included Clive Lewis, MP for Norwich South, Lara Bird, MP for the Scottish National party, Kate Nevens, MSP for the Scottish Green party and Sam Tarry, a former Labour MP.”
SupportedLewis told the Guardian the group was “detained, taken aside and then interrogated,” and described people being shouted at and asked why they were going in.UK news | The Guardian: ““We were detained, taken aside and then interrogated. I use the word interrogated because people were shouted at. We were asked why we were going in, what was happening, why our stories were one way or the other.””
SupportedTarry said Israeli forces made a political decision not to let people witness what was happening in the West Bank ahead of the elections.UK news | The Guardian: “Tarry told the Guardian that he thought the delegation had a “genuine chance of going across” into the West Bank but they were detained at the Allenby/King Hussein Bridge by Israeli forces in Jordan for nine hours. “They made a political decision very clearly based on the fact they didn’t want people to witness what’s been going on in the West Bank, especially ahead of the elections,” he added.”
SupportedBird said she came to stand with Palestinians being attacked for harvesting olives on their own land and was turned away at the border with no reason given.UK news | The Guardian: “Bird said in a statement: “I came to stand alongside Palestinians being attacked for harvesting olives on their own land. Instead, we were turned away at the border with no reason given.””
SupportedBird asked, “If Israel has nothing to hide, why is it so determined to stop us seeing what is happening in the Occupied West Bank?”UK news | The Guardian: ““It is more important now than ever that we bear witness and show our solidarity. But we were prevented from doing so. If Israel has nothing to hide, why is it so determined to stop us seeing what is happening in the Occupied West Bank?””
SupportedLaila Hazaineh said, “every refusal of entry will only strengthen this determination”.UK news | The Guardian: “Laila Hazaineh, a political coordinator for Progressive International, said in a statement: “Despite escalating violence, our delegation remained determined to cross to Palestine to participate in the olive harvest, and actively engage with Palestinian communities and institutions. Every refusal of entry will only strengthen this determination.””
SupportedIsraeli media reported this month that Israel Katz instructed officials to pursue exclusion orders against activists accompanying Palestinian olive harvesters.UK news | The Guardian: “Earlier this month, Israeli media reported that the defence minister, Israel Katz, had instructed officials to pursue exclusion orders against activists accompanying Palestinian olive harvesters.”
SupportedThe UN aid coordination office recorded at least 160 Israeli settler attacks linked to the olive harvest in the first two weeks of October.UK news | The Guardian: “In the first two weeks of October, the UN aid coordination office recorded at least 160 Israeli settler attacks linked to the olive harvest, often under the protection or with the participation of Israeli forces.”
SupportedIsraeli forces attacked European diplomats and a French mayor accompanying Palestinian farmers.UK news | The Guardian: “Israeli forces attacked European diplomats and a French mayor accompanying Palestinian farmers”
SupportedAbout 80 olive-harvest volunteers, including US congressional candidate Brad Lander, were recently detained.UK news | The Guardian: “about 80 olive-harvest volunteers, including US congressional candidate Brad Lander, were also recently detained .”