Israeli forces detained a 23-person international delegation at the Allenby/King Hussein Bridge in Jordan for nine hours. The group, which included four elected representatives, arrived from countries such as France, Spain, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Greece, Holland, Ireland, and the United States.
British politicians Clive Lewis, MP for Norwich South, and Lara Bird, MP for the Scottish National party, were among the members. Kate Nevens, MSP for the Scottish Green party, and former Labour MP Sam Tarry also joined the delegation.
The delegates intended to attend the Second Ramallah Congress, an event organised by Progressive International in partnership with Birzeit University. Tarry claimed the detention was a political decision intended to stop people from witnessing events in the West Bank before elections.
Israel Katz instructed officials to seek exclusion orders against activists who accompany Palestinian olive harvesters. Approximately 80 olive-harvest volunteers, including US congressional candidate Brad Lander, were recently detained.
Laila Hazaineh stated that despite escalating violence, the delegation remained determined to cross to Palestine to participate in the olive harvest and engage with Palestinian communities and institutions.
