Police will step up security measures across Larnaca and Nicosia on Thursday as Israeli President Isaac Herzog visits Cyprus.

The measures will be in place from 9am until 4pm on Thursday, with road closures lasting several minutes at a time in the Larnaca district, on the Larnaca to Nicosia highway and in the Nicosia district.

Police urged drivers and the public to follow instructions from officers deployed along the affected routes.

Herzog is due to visit Cyprus for one day at the invitation of President Nikos Christodoulides, with the two leaders expected to discuss bilateral relations and regional developments.

The visit will also be met by a protest outside the presidential palace in Nicosia, organised by the Cyprus Peace Council and other anti-war groups.

The protest is scheduled for 6.30pm, after the official programme, with organisers describing Herzog’s visit as a “huge provocation” over Israel’s military operations in Gaza and the West Bank, as well as its actions in Lebanon, Syria and Iran.

The organisers have called on the public to attend and “send a strong message” that Herzog is not welcome in Cyprus.

The Israeli presidency said the two presidents would discuss “deepening cooperation and strengthening ties between Israel and Cyprus”, followed by talks between the two delegations.