Two Jewish men were stabbed in an attack in north London on Wednesday that police are regarding as a terrorist incident, authorities and community leaders said. Officers said the assailant ran down a street targeting Jewish people before being detained by police using a Taser stun gun.
The two victims, described by police as a man in his 70s and a man in his 30s, were taken to hospital and were in a stable condition, law enforcement officials said. A 45-year-old man has been arrested and was being questioned on suspicion of attempted murder, police added. Officers at the scene said some of them had also been attacked by the suspect.
On-scene account and immediate reaction
London’s police chief, Mark Rowley, spoke at the scene and said the suspect had a history of serious violence and mental health problems. Rowley said detectives would consider with the government what further assistance could be provided to protect communities.
As officials addressed those gathered, a crowd at the location heckled Rowley and called for his resignation, shouting "you’ve failed" to express anger and fear within the community. The government has said it will provide more resources around the country to protect communities, while leaders in Britain and abroad urged urgent action.
Footage and police response
Unverified video posted on social media appeared to show a man wearing a traditional Jewish skullcap being attacked at a bus stop. Police said the suspect had attempted to stab officers, but no officers were injured. Later clips circulating online showed officers repeatedly kicking the suspect as they tried to wrest a knife away.
Authorities have cautioned that claims posted online about responsibility for the attack are being assessed but have not been confirmed.
Context of recent incidents
The stabbings come amid a wave of attacks on Jewish-linked sites in London in recent weeks, including a series of arson attacks and the torching of Jewish ambulances, according to police. Over the past month, officers have arrested more than two dozen people in connection with investigations into these incidents, which have included attempted arson at synagogues.
Several of these attacks have been reported in Golders Green in north London, a neighborhood with a large Jewish population, and near sites close to the Israeli embassy in west London.
Official and community responses
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the stabbing "utterly appalling" and said his government must increase funding for security for Jewish communities and take steps to confront what he called "malign state actors." Britain’s Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis said the government needed to do more than issue statements to confront the "hatred" behind the attacks.
Israel’s president, Isaac Herzog, urged urgent action and said it had become "dangerous to openly walk the streets as a Jew" in London. The spokesperson for King Charles said the monarch was "being kept fully informed and is naturally deeply concerned, in particular about the impact for the Jewish community."
Investigations and claimed links
Detectives are examining whether the recent arson incidents have any possible links to Iran, with security officials warning that Iran may seek to use criminal proxies to carry out hostile activity in the UK. On Tuesday, Britain summoned the Iranian ambassador over comments posted on social media by the Iranian embassy that the government described as "unacceptable and inflammatory."
A pro-Iranian group calling itself Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiyya (HAYI) posted on social media claiming responsibility for Wednesday’s stabbings. Police said they were assessing such online claims but have not verified their authenticity.
Rowley said investigators know that some individuals are being encouraged, persuaded or paid to commit acts of violence on behalf of foreign organisations and hostile states, a line authorities say they are pursuing in their inquiries.
Broader pattern of antisemitic violence
Authorities and community leaders say antisemitic attacks in Britain have risen, mirroring a global increase since the October 2023 Hamas assault on Israel that triggered the Gaza war. The article cited other incidents abroad, including a mass shooting at a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach that killed 15 people in December of the previous year, and referenced an attack last October in Manchester in which two people and the attacker died after a vehicle was driven at a synagogue.
Since the Manchester attack, Jewish communities in Britain have reportedly increased their use of private security measures. The recent spate of incidents in London has prompted renewed calls from community leaders for practical protections rather than statements alone.
What officials say next
Police continue to question the arrested suspect on suspicion of attempted murder and to investigate possible connections between recent arson attacks and the stabbing. Authorities are also following up on online claims of responsibility while treating the incident as a potential terrorist act.
In public comments, Rowley acknowledged the fear and anger felt by Jewish Londoners, saying: "It is completely understandable why Jewish Londoners feel afraid. Jewish communities are understandably angry. There’s been too many attacks." He said he would discuss with the government what more help could be made available.
As investigations proceed, community leaders and national officials have called for stepped-up security and concrete measures to protect Jewish people and sites in Britain. Police and security services have signaled they are reviewing whether foreign-linked actors played a role and said arrests and inquiries would continue.