Arson attack on Jewish charity ambulances investigated by counter-terror police

An arson attack on Jewish charity-owned ambulances in north London is being treated as an antisemitic hate crime and is being investigated by counter-terror officers, the Metropolitan Police has said.

Four Hatzola ambulances were set ablaze in Golders Green in the early hours of Monday, causing several explosions - caused by gas canisters onboard the vehicles.

No arrests have been made but CCTV, which appears to show three suspects dressed in black setting fire to an ambulance, is being investigated.

Det Ch Supt Luke Williams said the attack had not been declared a terror incident "at this stage".

"We are aware of an online claim from a group taking responsibility for this attack. Establishing the authenticity and accuracy of this claim will be a priority for the investigation team, but it is not something we can confirm at this point," he added.

The claim for responsibility appears to have come from an Iran-aligned group, Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya - The Islamic Movement of the People of the Right Hand - after it made an unsubstantiated claim of responsibility on its Telegram channel earlier.

CCTV footage released on Monday appears to show three people in hoods pouring accelerant on the vehicles before setting them on fire and fleeing.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood told the House of Commons she urged anyone with information to contact police.

"There have as yet been no arrests, but the perpetrators must be in no doubt we will pursue them and make them face the consequences of this wicked crime," Mahmood said.

"This incident comes at a time of soaring antisemitism in our country and today my message to our Jewish community is clear: we stand with you, we will do everything in our power to protect you and we will fight relentlessly to rid our society of antisemitism."

The London Fire Brigade was called to Highfield Road at around 01:40 GMT and the fires were brought under control less than two hours later. No injuries have been reported.

Deputy assistant commissioner Paul Askew said: "Upon arrival, crews were met with a well-developed fire involving four ambulances. Several cylinders stored within the vehicles exploded because of the heat, causing damage to the windows of a nearby residential block."

Around 30 people were taken to a local shelter, the London Fire Brigade added.

Sam Danziger's daughter lives in a block of flats next to where the arson attack happened.

"She's terrified with what happened... she's still not sleeping," Danziger told the BBC. "We got a call about it. We were straightaway concerned [about] what's going on."

Local resident and councillor Shimon Ryde told the BBC that the ambulances were close to the Mchzike Hadath synagogue.

"I was advised that the Hatzola ambulance centre had been attacked, which is right next to a synagogue," Ryde said, speaking from the shelter.

"It's very shocking, it's not unexpected... the Jewish community is very aware of the danger we live in".

Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis said the targeting of the volunteer ambulance service was "particularly sickening", adding that their "sole mission is to protect life, Jewish and non-Jewish alike".

Hatzola is a large non-profit, Jewish-led organisation that provides free emergency medical response and transportation to hospitals.

Run by volunteers, it has served the north London community of Golders Green, which has a large Jewish population, since 1979. There are dozens of synagogues throughout the area and according to the London Data Store, 49% of residents in the Golders Green ward identify as Jewish.

Hatzola representative Laurence Blitz said it was "shocking for any normal-minded person to attack an organisation whose sole purpose is to save lives".

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan described Monday's overnight arson attack as a "dark day for London".

"Jewish Londoners who volunteer to provide a service for all Londoners have been attacked for no other reason than because they are Jewish," he says.

"This is an antisemitic hate crime. And it's really important for all of us to show allyship to the Jewish community."

The government will fund the replacement of the four destroyed Hatzola ambulances, Prime Minister Keir Starmer - who earlier met Jewish community leaders in Downing Street - told Parliament.

During a select liaison committee hearing at the Commons, Starmer said: "The idea that we live in a society where people should feel they need to hide their identity or their religion is, frankly, abhorrent.

"Antisemitism is an old hatred, but it requires constant vigilance to overcome it."

Tens of thousands of pounds have been raised across multiple GoFundMe pages to help rebuild the Hatzola fleet.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting promised that the London Ambulance Service would be providing additional support to ensure that "we don't miss a beat" responding to emergency callouts.

Security Minister Dan Jarvis later told the House of Commons the damaged vehicles would be replaced on Tuesday.

Police said they were "engaged with faith leaders" and "were carrying out additional patrols in the local area".

Many people in the Jewish community are said to be deeply concerned by the attack, with some saying it may be linked to wider global tensions.

"Antisemitism is rife on the streets of London," the Israeli embassy wrote on X on Monday.

"Enough is enough. There must be thorough investigation and decisive action to put an end to this climate of intimidation before it spirals further."

The volunteer-run Community Security Trust (CST), which provides security and monitors antisemitism in the UK, said that it was assisting police in their enquiries.

"This has obvious comparison to similar antisemitic attacks recently in Belgium and the Netherlands," it said in a statement on X.

Elsewhere, Archbishop of Canterbury Sarah Mullally condemned the "appalling antisemitic attack", while the British Medical Association criticised "deliberate attacks on healthcare services" as "reprehensible".