UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy has slammed Israel’s "unacceptable” decision to block the entry of two British lawmakers into the country.

"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," Lammy said in a statement on Saturday.

Stating that the UK is in contact with the MPs to support them, Lammy said he had made it "clear" to Israeli officials that "this is no way to treat British Parliamentarians."

"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," it added.

The Times of Israel identified the parliament members as Abtisam Mohamed and Yuan Yang, citing officials as saying they were barred for trying to "spread hateful rhetoric against Israel."

Israel denies claims

The Israeli Interior Ministry, however, claimed that no official delegation from the UK parliament was visiting Israel and subsequently blocked the entry of the MPs and their assistants.

The ministry alleged that the purpose of Mohamed and Yang's visit was "to document the actions of the Israeli military (attacks) and spread anti-Israel hate speech."

In February, Israel denied the entry of European Parliament lawmakers Lynn Boylan and Rima Hassan, who were visiting as part of an official delegation.