As opposition to the arrival of Israeli president Isaac Herzog in Australia intensifies – with mass protests planned and some Labor MPs condemning his invitation – a coalition of Australian and Palestinian legal groups has asked the Australian federal police to investigate and arrest one of his travelling party over historical war crimes allegations.

Doron Almog, a retired Israel Defense Forces major general who is expected to travel with the president in his capacity as chair of the Jewish Agency for Israel, has formerly faced arrest warrants over allegations he committed war crimes in Gaza in 2002.

Almog denies the allegations.

A decorated former officer in the Israel Defense Forces, and recipient of the nation’s highest honour, the Israel prize, Almog narrowly escaped arrest at London’s Heathrow airport in 2005 when he refused to leave an El Al plane on the tarmac after he was tipped off that a warrant had been issued for his arrest.

A London court issued the warrant for Almog’s arrest over allegations he committed a war crime in ordering the destruction of more than 50 Palestinian homes during operations in 2002 in Gaza. The warrant was issued after an application by British lawyers acting for Palestinian victims of the demolition.

Almog has also been implicated in the al-Daraj bombing in 2002, when a one-tonne bomb was dropped on a densely populated neighbourhood. The strike was targeting Hamas leader Salah Shehadeh, but also killed 14 others, mostly babies and children.

The UK warrant has since been withdrawn and Almog has consistently denied the allegations.

Almog is chairman of the executive of the Jewish Agency for Israel, which encourages the immigration of Jews in the global diaspora to Israel, a practice known as Aliyah.

Three legal organisations – the Australian Centre for International Justice, Al Haq, the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights , and the Al Mezan Center for Human Rights – have lodged a submission with the AFP, requesting that Almog be investigated over allegations arising from his time as Commanding Officer of the Israeli military’s Southern Command between 2000 to 2003.

“Under his command, the Israeli military was responsible for countless and extensive human rights violations and grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions inside the illegally occupied Gaza Strip,” the submission alleges.

“Under Australian law, grave breaches are serious criminal offences and Australia is obligated to search for, arrest and prosecute those alleged to have perpetrated them.”

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The legal groups also insist Almog should be investigated for his actions as chair of the Jewish Agency, alleging “Almog participated in the authorisation, organisation or direction of the transfer of Israeli civilian population into the occupied West Bank, being territory illegally occupied by Israel”.

The AFP has referred the Almog submission to its Special Investigations Command.

Rawan Arraf, the ACIJ’s executive director, said Almog should not be allowed to enter Australia.

“But given it is likely he will be allowed to enter the country, he must be arrested. He must answer to the credible allegations made against him. This impunity that Israel and its leaders enjoy, must end.

Almog has not been involved in the current Gaza conflict. He has been a prominent, but controversial figure, for decades. He was awarded the Israel prize in 2016 for his military service and his charity work, particularly as the founder of rehabilitation village for children with disabilities.

In September 2005, Almog flew into London’s Heathrow airport for a series of fundraising and charitable events across the UK.

Ahead of his arrival, in the Bow Street magistrate court, a private prosecution was brought before the senior district judge Timothy Workman, who issued a warrant for Almog’s arrest over war crimes allegations. The warrant alleged Almog committed war crimes in the Gaza Strip in 2002 when he ordered the destruction of 59 homes near Rafah.

Detectives were waiting at the immigration desk to arrest Almog.

But the police plans were leaked to the military attache of the Israeli embassy, who boarded the plane as Almog prepared to disembark, telling him he faced arrest.

Almog stayed on the plane for two hours as it sat on the tarmac, before it flew back to Israel. He told the Guardian the next day: “I don’t know how he [the military attache] found out but I am glad he did. It was also fortunate that I was flying with El Al as they are loyal. I don’t know what would have happened if I had been on a British Airways flight.”

He also said the allegations against him were without merit.

“As a soldier and a general I have never committed a crime. Many times I have saved Palestinian lives by risking my life and the lives of my soldiers,” he said.

Herzog, as president and head of state of Israel, was invited to Australia by the federal government after the antisemitic massacre in Bondi in December, when 15 people were killed by two allegedly Islamic State-inspired gunmen.

The Australian prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has said Herzog’s visit was intended to foster “a greater sense of unity”.

But members of his own party have said they are “very uncomfortable” about the invitation. The former Labor minister Ed Husic said: “It’s really hard for me to reconcile the vision of him [Herzog] signing bombs that went on to be dropped on Palestinian homes … with the notion of social cohesion. So from that perspective, I’ve obviously got deep concerns.”

In late 2023, Herzog was pictured signing an Israeli artillery shell being prepared to be fired into Gaza, writing in Hebrew on the munition: “I rely on you.”

In September last year, a UN commission of inquiry alleged Herzog incited genocide against Palestinians in Gaza by publicly declaring all Palestinians in Gaza were responsible for the Hamas attacks of October 2023: “It’s an entire nation out there that is responsible,” he said. “It is not true, this rhetoric about civilians who were not aware and not involved. It is absolutely not true.” Herzog denies the allegations, saying he was taken out of context, and also said Israeli forces would adhere to international law.

Herzog also enjoys immunity from prosecution as head of state, and there have been no arrest warrants issued for him. The international court of justice is trying a case in which Israel is accused of genocide.

Chris Sidoti, one of the commissioners on the UN panel, wrote in the Guardian this week the invitation extended to Herzog was a “terrible mistake”.

The Guardian has approached Almog, the Jewish Agency for Israel, and the AFP, for comment.