Three charged over arson attack on Jewish community ambulances in London
British police have charged three men in connection with the arson attack on four ambulances belonging to the Jewish volunteer service Hatzola (known as Hatzolah in Australia) in north London.
The incident took place in the early hours of 23 March 2026 when the vehicles, parked in the grounds of Machzike Hadath Synagogue on Highfield Road in Golders Green, were set alight. Three ambulances were destroyed and a fourth was seriously damaged after gas cylinders onboard exploded, shattering windows in nearby buildings. No one was injured.
London Ambulance service presents Hatzolah with four ambulances
CCTV footage released by police appeared to show three hooded figures pouring accelerant on the vehicles before fleeing the scene.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the attack as a deeply shocking antisemitic arson attack and said antisemitism had no place in society. Mayor of London Sadiq Khan called it a dark day for the city and urged everyone to show allyship with the Jewish community.
The Metropolitan Police is treating the incident as an antisemitic hate crime. Counter-terrorism officers are leading the investigation, although it is not being treated as a terrorism incident at this stage.
The SITE Intelligence Group reported that an Iran-aligned militant collective known as the Islamic Movement of the People of the Right Hand, also referred to as Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya, claimed responsibility for the attack via Telegram. The group has made similar unsubstantiated claims for fires at Jewish sites in Belgium and the Netherlands. Police said they were assessing the authenticity of the claim.
On 1 April officers arrested three suspects at separate addresses in east London. Hamza Iqbal, 20, and Rehan Khan, 19, both British nationals from Leyton, and a 17-year-old boy who holds dual British and Pakistani nationality from Walthamstow were taken into custody.
All three have since been charged with arson, being reckless as to whether life would be endangered. They are due to appear at Westminster Magistrates Court on Saturday.
Two British men aged in their 40s who were arrested last week have been released on police bail.
Commander Helen Flanagan, head of Counter Terrorism Policing London, said the arrests demonstrated that officers were doing everything possible to bring those responsible to justice. She acknowledged that concern remained high in the Jewish community.
Hatzola, a volunteer organisation founded in 1979, provides free emergency medical services to residents in north London regardless of faith. Following the attack, the London Ambulance Service loaned replacement vehicles, and the government has committed funding for permanent replacements. Community fundraising has also raised significant sums to support the service and plans for a new secure headquarters.
Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis visited the scene, and community leaders described the targeting of life-saving vehicles as particularly shocking.
Police have stepped up patrols in Jewish areas of London, including armed officers, to provide reassurance ahead of Passover. Hatzola has continued its operations without interruption.
