Ninth suspect arrested in antisemitic arson probe over Hatzola ambulances

A 48-year-old man has been arrested over the burning of four Hatzola ambulances in Golders Green, deepening a counterterrorism investigation that police say has shaken trust across Jewish neighborhoods in London.

The man was detained on May 7 in Leytonstone High Road, east London, on suspicion of conspiracy to commit arson. He is the ninth person arrested in the case, which is being led by Counter Terrorism Policing London after the attack on March 23 destroyed four ambulances parked outside a local synagogue on Highfield Road.

The fire broke out in the early hours of the morning, at about 1:35 a.m., and spread through the vehicles fast enough to trigger explosions from oxygen canisters on board. Six fire engines and about 40 firefighters were sent to the scene. By the time crews brought the blaze under control, four Hatzola ambulances had been lost in what authorities have described as an apparent antisemitic arson attack.

The damage was severe and immediate. Court proceedings later heard the incident caused about £1 million worth of damage, underscoring the scale of the blow to an emergency service that relies on rapid access to vehicles and equipment. Hatzola’s ambulances are part of the community’s own life-saving response network, and the destruction of four of them carried implications well beyond property loss.

The latest arrest follows charges brought on April 3 against Hamza Iqbal, 20, Rehan Khan, 19, and a 17-year-old boy. Prosecutors charged the three with arson being reckless as to whether life would be endangered. Frank Ferguson of the Crown Prosecution Service said the defendants were prosecuted after four ambulances were set on fire in north London.

Police have said the attack caused considerable community concern, and the case has become one part of a wider wave of arrests in investigations into attacks on Jewish, Israeli and Iranian-linked sites. The Metropolitan Police has said 31 people have now been arrested across those related counterterrorism inquiries, with eight charged.

The response has also moved beyond arrests. The Metropolitan Police announced a new dedicated Community Protection Team of 100 extra officers focused on protecting Jewish communities across London, a move intended to bolster visible security and reassure residents after the Golders Green fire.