A man who planned a terrorist attack on the Embassy of Israel in London has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 20 years.

Abdullah Sabah Albadri, 34, tried to gain entry to the embassy in Kensington on April 28, 2025 while carrying two knives.

Armed Metropolitan Police officers from the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command intervened and prevented him from climbing over the embassy gates.

Albadri was sentenced at the Old Bailey on Monday, October 5, after being convicted of preparing acts of terrorism.

Armed officers stopped attack

Counter Terrorism Policing London said Albadri intended to attack the embassy in retaliation for the Israeli government’s actions in Gaza.

Body-worn video recorded after his arrest showed him telling officers that he had “weapons” and wanted to commit an offence inside the embassy.

Police found two knives in his pockets along with a note indicating that he expected to die during the attack.

Investigators also examined his phone and established that he had researched the location of the embassy in the days before the attempted attack.

CCTV showed Albadri walking from Kilburn in north-west London to Kensington on the day of the incident.

Police said searches on his phone during the preceding five days included Arabic terms relating to suicide and martyrdom.

Arrived in UK by small boat weeks before attack

The investigation also established that Albadri, a Kuwaiti national of no fixed address, had entered the UK on a small boat from France on April 12, 2025 — just over two weeks before the attempted attack.

Police said his earlier internet activity had largely related to attempts to secure asylum in the UK before changing to searches connected with the embassy and martyrdom.

Following a two-week trial at the Old Bailey, Albadri was convicted of one count of preparation of terrorist acts under section 5(1)(a) of the Terrorism Act 2006.

He was also convicted of two counts of possession of a pointed or bladed article under section 139 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988.

Life sentence with a 20-year minimum term

Albadri was sentenced to life imprisonment and must serve a minimum of 20 years before he can be considered for release.

He was also given a total sentence of one year and six months for the knife offences, to run concurrently.

Commander Helen Flanagan, head of Counter Terrorism Policing London, praised the armed officers who stopped the attack.

She said their swift intervention prevented Albadri from breaching the embassy’s security perimeter and meant nobody was seriously injured.

Police said protective security arrangements surrounding the embassy continue to be reviewed alongside embassy officials and Metropolitan Police teams.