Counterterrorism Police Investigate Arson Attack on Jewish Ambulances in London

Counterterrorism police have launched an investigation after four Jewish community ambulances were deliberately set ablaze outside a synagogue in London early Monday, in what authorities are treating as an antisemitic hate crime.

The attack occurred around 1:45 a.m. in the Golders Green neighborhood, targeting Hatzola ambulances, a volunteer emergency medical service operated by the Jewish community. The vehicles were parked in a synagogue parking lot when they were set on fire, according to Detective Chief Superintendent Luke Williams of the Metropolitan Police.

“This arson attack is being treated as an antisemitic hate crime. This is a devastating incident for our Jewish communities,” Williams said. He noted that while the incident has not yet been formally classified as terrorism, “the investigation is now being led by Counterterrorism Policing… and all lines of enquiry remain open.”

Police report that CCTV footage shows three suspects pouring an accelerant onto the vehicles before igniting them. No injuries were reported, though nearby homes were evacuated as a precaution. No arrests have been made as the investigation continues.

Security footage from the scene is being examined as authorities work to identify those responsible. The police have called for witnesses or anyone with information to come forward to assist with the investigation.

A video circulating online purportedly shows Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiyya, an Iran-linked group, claiming responsibility for the attack. The same group has claimed credit for recent attacks targeting Jewish sites in Belgium and the Netherlands, according to the Jewish Chronicle.

“We are aware of an online claim from a group taking responsibility for this attack,” Williams confirmed. “Establishing the authenticity and accuracy of this claim will be a priority… but it is not something we can confirm at this point.”

Joe Truzman, a senior research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, noted in a social media post that “the attack could potentially be linked to Ashab al-Yamin, an Iran-linked group that has carried out multiple attacks against Jewish institutions across Europe since the war began.”

The incident comes amid a concerning pattern of escalating violence against Jewish communities across Europe. In recent months, synagogues and Jewish institutions have been targeted in multiple countries, with security agencies noting increased coordination of such attacks.

Alan Mendoza, executive director of the Henry Jackson Society, criticized British policy toward Iran, stating that “successive U.K. governments have completely failed in their primary duty of keeping the home front safe.” He added that “Iranian terrorist activity has been known about in the U.K. for years, yet no significant moves have been made to ban the IRGC or restrict the ability of regime-linked entities to function within British society.”

The Hatzola ambulance service, which primarily serves the Jewish community but responds to medical emergencies for all residents in the areas where they operate, has been providing emergency medical services in London for decades. The destruction of these vehicles represents not only an attack on Jewish infrastructure but also undermines emergency response capabilities in the affected neighborhood.

Scott Saunders, CEO of the International March of the Living, called the attack “a dangerous escalation in the targeting of Jewish communities,” noting that “emergency vehicles operated by Jewish volunteer first responders were deliberately attacked… in direct proximity to a place of worship — a space that should represent safety.”

Dr. Charles Asher Small, founder of the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy, placed the attack in a broader context, describing it as “not an isolated act of vandalism; it is the violent fruition of a climate where Jew-hatred has been normalized and institutionalized.”

British officials have strongly condemned the attack. Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated, “An attack on our Jewish community is an attack on us all. We will fight the poison that is antisemitism.” Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis called the incident “a particularly sickening assault — not only on the Jewish community, but on the values we share as a society.”

The attack in London follows other recent incidents across Europe, including explosions near synagogues in Belgium, raising concerns about a coordinated campaign targeting Jewish institutions. Security around Jewish community sites in London and across the United Kingdom has been enhanced in response to the incident.