Scottish politicians say Israeli officials detained them for 8 hours

'What we experienced was only a small fraction of the terrifying reality Palestinians face,' says Scottish Greens MSP Kate Nevens

Two Scottish politicians said they were detained by Israeli authorities for eight hours and prevented from entering the occupied West Bank while travelling with an international delegation. Scottish National Party (SNP) MP Lara Bird and Scottish Greens MSP Kate Nevens were part of a 23-member Progressive International delegation that also included Labour MP Clive Lewis and a former member of the Basque senate. Posting on Instagram, Bird said the group had been questioned and denied entry to the territory. The delegation had intended to "stand alongside Palestinians being attacked for harvesting olives on their own land," she said. She also said the group was "interrogated and ultimately prevented from crossing the border." Nevens described the experience as "frightening" but said the group was able to "leave safely." "What we experienced was only a small fraction of the terrifying reality Palestinians face when they try to cross the same border to reach their families or simply go about their lives," she said. The incident came after the Israeli military announced on Monday that all West Bank land crossings would be closed as part of heightened security measures ahead of Tuesday's national elections. The Israeli army continued a large-scale offensive in the West Bank city of Hebron for a fifth consecutive day on Tuesday, forcing nearly 5,000 Palestinians from their homes. The Hebron municipality said in a statement that 4,969 Palestinians from 780 families have been forcibly displaced from the Deir Bahha and Al-Jilda areas since the Israeli military campaign began on Friday. Anadolu footage showed Palestinians being stopped, searched and mistreated by Israeli forces at military checkpoints near Al-Jilda Roundabout. Witnesses said new military reinforcements also arrived in Ein Deir Baha, where Israeli forces have taken over several Palestinian buildings and turned them into military posts.