Arson Destroys Jewish Volunteer Ambulances in North London

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - Four volunteer ambulances operated by a Jewish community organization were destroyed in an early Monday arson attack in Golders Green, a north London neighborhood, British authorities said, AFP reported. No injuries were reported. The incident prompted a police investigation as a suspected antisemitic hate crime, following an online claim of responsibility by a little-known Iran-aligned group.

The London Fire Brigade said it was alerted at 1:40 a.m. (0140 GMT) to vehicles on fire at Highfield Court. Some 40 firefighters were deployed to the scene, where multiple cylinders on the ambulances exploded, shattering windows in a nearby apartment block. All fires were extinguished, and residents in surrounding homes were evacuated as a precaution while some roads were closed, the fire service noted.

The vehicles belonged to Hatzalah, a volunteer Jewish Community Ambulance service established in 1979. The organization provides free emergency medical transportation to residents of north London, serving both Jewish and non-Jewish populations. Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis described the attack as “highly lamentable” and said synagogues, schools, and other Jewish facilities now function “behind walls, behind gates.”

Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the incident as a “deeply shocking antisemitic arson attack” and called for unity among Britain’s communities. Health Secretary Wes Streeting said the government would provide four replacement ambulances promptly, emphasizing that the Jewish community “should not be left footing the bill for this despicable attack.”

London’s Metropolitan Police said counter-terrorism officers are leading the investigation, though it has not yet been officially classified as a terror attack. Detective Chief Superintendent Luke Williams said authorities are seeking three suspects after reviewing CCTV footage that appears to show three hooded individuals pouring an accelerant on the vehicles and igniting them before fleeing the scene. The online claim of responsibility, attributed to Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya (The Islamic Movement of the People of the Right Hand), is under investigation, with police prioritizing the verification of its authenticity, AFP reported.

The group, which maintains a Telegram channel, claimed responsibility for the attacks in a video posted Monday and reportedly had previously claimed responsibility for similar incidents targeting Jewish schools and synagogues in Belgium and the Netherlands, according to the SITE monitoring service. The group had not been publicly active prior to the start of the Iran war.

Shomrim North West London, a local volunteer neighborhood watch and charity, described the attack as “targeted and deeply concerning,” noting that it affected a vital emergency service serving the Jewish community. The organization said the arson was “an attack on the safety, wellbeing, and resilience of our community,” posting the statement on Facebook.

Monitoring groups in the UK have reported rising antisemitic and Islamophobic incidents in recent years. The Community Security Trust, which tracks antisemitic activity, recorded 3,700 anti-Jewish hate incidents across Britain in 2025, representing a four percent increase from 2024, though below 2023 levels. Similar attacks on Jewish institutions have been reported in Europe in recent months, coinciding with heightened tensions during the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

Authorities emphasized the importance of community vigilance and called for public assistance. Residents and witnesses have been urged to come forward with information to aid the investigation, Williams said, as police continue to examine CCTV footage and other evidence.

The Prime Minister reiterated that antisemitism has no place in the United Kingdom, describing the attack as “horrific news” and urging all communities to “stand together at a moment like this.