March 23 - Four ambulances operated by a Jewish community volunteer organisation in north London were deliberately set alight overnight, the Metropolitan Police said, and the attack is being treated as an antisemitic hate crime.
In a statement, the force said: "An investigation has been launched after four ambulances belonging to the Jewish Community Ambulance service were set on fire in Golders Green," and added: "Officers remain on scene and the arson attack is being treated as an antisemitic hate crime."
The vehicles were owned by Hatzola, a not-for-profit volunteer organisation that responds to medical emergencies in the community.
The London Fire Brigade reported that it dispatched six fire engines and 40 firefighters to tackle the blaze. Emergency calls from local residents were recorded at 0140 GMT.
Describing the scene, the fire service said: "Multiple cylinders on the vehicles exploded and caused windows to break in an adjacent block of flats. No injuries are reported." The brigade added that the fire was under control by 0306 GMT.
The incident comes against a backdrop of rising attacks on Jews and Jewish targets worldwide since the Hamas attacks that triggered the Gaza war, the police statement noted. It also said Britain has experienced significantly higher levels of antisemitic hate since the onset of the conflict.
Officials pointed to the severity of antisemitic violence in the country in the previous year, citing the Manchester attack that killed two Jewish worshippers during Yom Kippur as the most severe incident.
Context and immediate responses
- Four ambulances belonging to Hatzola were set on fire in Golders Green, north London.
- The Metropolitan Police have launched an investigation and are treating the attack as an antisemitic hate crime.
- The London Fire Brigade sent six fire engines and 40 firefighters; the fire was under control by 0306 GMT and there were no reported injuries.
Authorities remain on site as the investigation continues. The organisation affected, Hatzola, provides volunteer emergency medical response and the damage to its vehicles has immediate consequences for its operational capacity in the community.