LONDON

A large rally was held in London on Tuesday to oppose Israeli President Isaac Herzog's visit to the country, demanding his arrest upon arrival.

Thousands of people gathered outside Prime Minister's Office in central London as part of an "emergency protest" to oppose the visit by Herzog, who is expected to arrive in the UK later Tuesday.

Carrying Palestine flags, the protesters criticized Prime Minister Keir Starmer for allowing the Israeli president's visit.

The crowd accused Herzog of aiding and abetting indiscriminate killing of civilians in Gaza, and demanded the British government to issue an arrest warrant for the Israeli leader.

The Israeli president is paying a three-day visit to London, and is expected to meet Starmer, UK lawmakers, public representatives, and media figures.

Some British politicians have already called on Starmer to avoid meeting Herzog due to ongoing Israeli assaults on Gaza that have caused immense suffering.

Dozens of British lawmakers have also written to the UK premier to express their concern at the decision to let Herzog's visit happen.

Protesters chanted pro-Palestine slogans and criticized the government by shouting: "Keir Starmer you can't hide, we charge you with genocide."

They also held various signs to protest Israeli attacks on Gaza, with some of them labelling Herzog "genocide president."

Israel’s genocidal war has killed more than 64,000 Palestinians in Gaza since October 2023. The military campaign has devastated the enclave, which is facing famine.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.