Overview

• Israeli president Isaac Herzog is expected in London on Wednesday and Thursday next week for talks with ministers and senior political figures, according to UK media reports.
• Downing Street has not confirmed any meeting with Prime Minister Keir Starmer, saying official visits will be set out in the usual way.
• The reported trip lands days before the government’s plan to back Palestinian statehood at the UN General Assembly unless Israel meets conditions including a ceasefire and commitments on the West Bank.
• Labour figures such as Sarah Champion and John McDonnell have urged ministers to refuse meetings, while Foreign Affairs Committee chair Emily Thornberry says engagement should still be pursued.
• Netanyahu faces an ICC arrest warrant that UK authorities say could be enforced if he traveled, whereas Herzog holds a largely ceremonial role, has supported Israel’s Gaza campaign, and drew criticism for 2023 remarks assigning collective responsibility to Gazans; local officials now report more than 64,000 dead in the Strip.