Israeli authorities denied entry to two Swedish members of the European Parliament, Jonas Sjöstedt and Hanna Gedin, who were travelling to visit the occupied West Bank. Israel’s Foreign Ministry said the two Left Party members were sent back from Ben Gurion Airport on Sunday.

Israel said the legislators had consistently acted against Israel, including by calling for international legal action against Israelis. The ministry also accused them of spreading what it called false allegations against Israel, including allegations of genocide, deliberate starvation and intentionally targeting children and medical workers.

The lawmakers said they had planned to meet human rights and humanitarian organisations, including Save the Children, and visit refugee camps. Sjöstedt said in a Facebook post that they were not going to meet the Palestinian Authority, and that EU and Swedish embassies in Israel had protested the decision. Palestinian National Council president Rawhi Fattouh condemned the move, calling it an attempt to impose silence through force and criminalise criticism of the occupation.