Four admit torching U.K. Jewish charity ambulances

By the Editorial Team · Tuesday, September 1, 2026

Four men pleaded guilty to deliberately setting fire to ambulances operated by the Jewish emergency service Hatzola in London’s Golders Green neighborhood, an attack treated by police as antisemitic and causing nearby evacuations due to exploding gas cylinders. The incident highlights a sharp rise in antisemitic attacks across the UK, prompting the government to commit £250 million to bolster security for Jewish communities over the next three years.

Four men have admitted to torching ambulances belonging to a Jewish volunteer emergency service in north London in an arson attack earlier this year, authorities said Friday. Hamza Iqbal, 20, Rehan Khan, 19, Saif Ali, 18, and Judex Atshatshi, 18, pleaded guilty at London’s Old Bailey court to charges of destroying or damaging property recklessly, with the potential to endanger life.

The incident took place in Golders Green, a neighborhood with a significant Jewish population, in March 2026. Four ambulances operated by Hatzola—an organization providing emergency medical assistance to the Jewish community—were set on fire during the night. Police treated the attack as an antisemitic hate crime. Nearby residences were evacuated as a precaution after multiple gas cylinders inside the vehicles exploded, causing windows of a nearby apartment building to shatter. No injuries were reported.

At the time of the fire, an Iran-aligned group calling itself the Islamic Movement of the People of the Right Hand claimed responsibility, alongside similar incidents in Belgium, Greece, and the Netherlands. Investigators acknowledged the claim but stressed that its authenticity had not been verified.

The attack occurred against the backdrop of rising antisemitic incidents in the United Kingdom, which have remained near record highs. The Community Security Trust (CST), which monitors antisemitism and advises the Jewish community on safety, recorded 1,926 anti-Jewish hate incidents between January and June 2026. This marked a 21 percent increase from the same period in 2025 and represented the second-highest half-year total on record. The CST attributed the surge partially to tensions following the outbreak of the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran in February.

British authorities have accused Tehran of supporting proxy groups responsible for attacks on Jewish and other communities across Europe, allegations Iran denies. Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the arson attack as a "deeply shocking antisemitic" act, affirming that "antisemitism has no place in our society."

Golders Green has seen several serious antisemitic incidents this year. In April, two Jewish worshippers were stabbed in a police operation treated as terrorism. In May, 22-year-old Israeli citizen Shalev Ben-Yakar was assaulted by a group of men after being identified as Jewish while speaking Hebrew on the phone. That incident was also investigated as a hate crime.

In response to the surge in antisemitic violence, the British government announced plans earlier this month to invest £250 million ($336 million) over the next three years to enhance security measures for Jewish communities. This includes deploying additional officers to protect schools, synagogues, and community centers nationwide.

This article was reported by synthesizing coverage from multiple independent news outlets to present a balanced, unbiased account. Read about our editorial standards. Spotted an error? Let us know.