Four volunteer ambulances serving London’s Jewish community were destroyed in an early-morning arson attack Monday (March 23) that counterterrorism police are now investigating as an antisemitic hate crime with possible links to Iran.
The London Fire Brigade responded to the scene in Golders Green, a north London neighborhood with a substantial Jewish population, at 1:40 a.m. local time. Around 40 firefighters battled the blaze after gas cylinders stored on the vehicles exploded, shattering windows in a nearby apartment building. Nearby homes were evacuated as a precaution, though no injuries were reported. All fires were extinguished by approximately 3:00 a.m.
The destroyed vehicles belonged to Hatzola, a volunteer emergency medical service operated by members of London’s Jewish community since 1979. The ambulances provided free medical transportation and emergency response to all residents of north London, regardless of religious affiliation.
Detective Chief Superintendent Luke Williams of the Metropolitan Police said the attack is being treated as an antisemitic hate crime. “This is a devastating incident for our Jewish communities,” Williams said.
While the incident has not yet been formally declared terrorism, “the investigation is now being led by Counterterrorism Policing, and all lines of enquiry remain open.”
CCTV footage appears to show three suspects in hoods pouring an accelerant onto the vehicles before igniting them and fleeing the scene. Police are searching for the individuals and have urged anyone with information to come forward. No arrests have been made.
An online video purportedly shows Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiyya, an Iran-linked group, claiming responsibility for the London attack. The group, whose name translates to The Islamic Movement of the People of the Right Hand, has also claimed credit for recent attacks on Jewish sites in Belgium and the Netherlands, according to the SITE Intelligence monitoring service.
“We are aware of an online claim from a group taking responsibility for this attack,” Williams said. “Establishing the authenticity and accuracy of this claim will be a priority, but it is not something we can confirm at this point.”
Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the incident Monday morning. “An attack on our Jewish community is an attack on us all,” Starmer said. “We will fight the poison that is antisemitism.”
The investigation remains ongoing, with counterterrorism police examining the potential connection to the Iran-linked group and working to identify and apprehend the three suspects captured on surveillance footage.
Health Secretary Wes Streetin announced the government would provide four replacement ambulances by Tuesday morning.
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