UK Groups File Seek Arrest of ’Israeli’ President Herzog Over Gaza War Crimes
By Staff, Agencies
Several UK-based advocacy groups, including the Hind Rajab Foundation [HRF], the European Legal Support Centre [ELSC] and the Stop the War Coalition, have filed a criminal complaint with British authorities seeking the arrest of the “Israeli” entity's President Isaac Herzog on charges of complicity in war crimes and crimes against humanity during his recent visit to London.
The complaint, submitted on September 10, accuses Herzog of direct involvement in what they describe as “Israel’s” genocide in Gaza. The case highlights tactics of mass starvation and the systematic destruction of the besieged enclave.
Represented by the Public Interest Law Centre, the groups filed a detailed dossier citing Herzog’s own public remarks that, they argue, stripped away protections for civilians, as well as his denial of famine in Gaza despite UN warnings. His visits to military sites such as Nahal Oz and the Gaza border, they said, were tied to operations including “‘Oz’ and ‘Nir’”.
The action followed earlier letters sent on September 9 to the Metropolitan Police, the Crown Prosecution Service [CPS] and the Attorney General’s Office. But despite the complaint, the Metropolitan Police did not act to detain Herzog. That same evening, a CPS lawyer dismissed both the filing and a request for a judicial arrest warrant, citing “insufficient admissible evidence”.
The coalition strongly condemned the decision, calling it flawed. They argued that most of the evidence—Herzog’s own speeches, open-source videos, eyewitness testimony and international reports—is already admissible under UK law.
They also noted that similar evidence had been filed months earlier with the War Crimes Team by the Public Interest Law Centre and the Palestine Centre for Human Rights. The CPS, they charged, failed in its duty under the Geneva Conventions and neglected its own policies on evidentiary guidance.
Renewing their appeal to the Metropolitan Police’s SO15 War Crimes Unit, the groups insisted that Herzog should be detained regardless of any claims to immunity. They stressed that the UK, under Article 146 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, is obligated to prosecute or extradite individuals suspected of grave breaches when present on its territory.
The organizations have since followed up with further communications to both police and prosecutors demanding reconsideration.
Dyab Abou Jahjah, chairman of the HRF, declared: “History will not absolve the British authorities for failing to arrest Isaac Herzog. In doing so, the police have abandoned the Palestinian victims of genocide, organized starvation, and destruction in Gaza, and have placed themselves on the side of impunity rather than justice”.
Lindsey German, convener of the Stop the War Coalition, added: “It is astonishing that Herzog has been welcomed at the highest level of government in Downing Street and that he has not been arrested for war crimes. Millions of people in Britain are horrified at the genocidal actions of the ‘Israeli’ government”.
Anna Ost, senior legal officer at the ELSC, argued: “This is yet another example of UK institutions not only providing cover for, but actively enabling genocide. By refusing to act, the CPS is reinforcing a Western project of destruction in Gaza”.
Paul Heron, solicitor at the Public Interest Law Centre, remarked that the UK government deliberately maintains obstacles to accountability, insisting on the consent of the Director of Public Prosecutions before arrests can proceed. “It is now clear that this safeguard is being exploited to silence those who demand justice,” he said.
Herzog’s visit was met with widespread protests in London, where thousands gathered outside Downing Street demanding his arrest.
Similar calls came from the International Centre of Justice for Palestinians [ICJP], which alerted Scotland Yard’s Counter Terrorism Command before his arrival, accusing Herzog of responsibility for war crimes, crimes against humanity and torture.
Green Party MP Carla Denyer also urged his detention, pointing to Herzog’s public signing of an artillery shell fired into Gaza and citing International Court of Justice findings on the risk of genocide.
On September 10, Herzog met with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer in what he described as a “tough” exchange that included debate over humanitarian aid in Gaza.
The UK government, while condemning recent “Israeli” attacks in Doha, nevertheless continued the meeting, reaffirming support for “Israel” alongside calls for a ceasefire and increased humanitarian assistance.
No official response was immediately issued by “Israeli” authorities to the complaint. Herzog has not been indicted by the International Criminal Court and all allegations remain unproven in court.
Still, the filing underscores the deepening tensions over Britain’s role in applying international law amid the Gaza war. Critics accused the UK of selective enforcement and enabling impunity, while the coalition of advocacy groups vowed to press ahead with legal efforts at home and abroad to secure accountability.
