Man jailed for life over failed knife attack at Israeli embassy in London
Abdullah Albadri arrived in the UK on a small 16 days before trying to break into the embassy with two knives.
Man sentenced to life after failed knife attack at Israeli embassy in London
A man who attempted to force his way into the Israeli embassy in London to carry out a knife attack has been sentenced to life in prison, with a minimum term of 20 years.
Abdullah Albadri was found with two knives when he tried to enter the embassy in Kensington on 28 April 2025, before armed police detained him.
The 34-year-old, who is from Kuwait, had reached the UK on a small boat 16 days earlier.
He had already been convicted by majority verdict of preparing terrorist acts and possessing two bladed articles.
At Albadri's trial at the Old Bailey, the court heard that he was driven to plan the attack by the deaths of Palestinians in Gaza.
He first came to the UK on a small boat in August 2021 and sought asylum, but left for France before any decision was reached.
Albadri crossed the Channel again in April 2025 and spent three days in a hotel in Basingstoke, before being informed that he was not entitled to accommodation because his asylum application was still outstanding.
The court had previously heard that he had been sleeping rough in the days before the attempted attack.
When police arrested him at the embassy, he was carrying a handwritten copy of a verse called "the benefit of martyrdom".