Police Probe Possible Iran Link to Attack on Jewish Charity Ambulances

What appeared to be security camera footage showed three figures in black, wearing hoods, carrying a canister toward one of the ambulances before flames erupted around the vehicle. By the time the London Fire Brigade arrived at Highfield Road in Golders Green shortly after 1:40 a.m. on Monday, all four ambulances belonging to Hatzola Northwest were ablaze. No one was injured in the nighttime attack, which shattered windows in nearby homes and left the vehicles charred shells.

"We are pursuing all lines of inquiry, including an online claim of responsibility by an Islamist group who have claimed other attacks across Europe and have potential Iranian state links," said Sir Mark Rowley, chief of London's Metropolitan Police. Speaking at a later event, Rowley urged caution: he said "it is too early for me to attribute last night's attack in Golders Green to the Iranian state."

A video posted on Telegram, allegedly by an Islamist group called Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia, showed a map of the location where the ambulances were kept and footage of them on fire. The group had appeared in recent weeks in relation to several attacks, including an explosion at a Liège synagogue in Belgium, an Amsterdam Jewish school, and a Rotterdam synagogue. It is believed to be linked to the Islamic Resistance, Iranian-backed Shia Islamist factions, in Iraq.

Though it has not been classified as a terrorist incident, counterterror officers have been put in charge of the investigation. Metropolitan Police Superintendent Sarah Jackson, who leads policing in the area, said officers were combing through evidence: "We are in the process of examining CCTV and are aware of online footage. We believe we are looking for three suspects at this early stage." She added that no arrests had been made and urged anyone with information to contact police, including anonymously.

The London Fire Brigade, which sent six fire engines and 40 firefighters to the scene, said multiple oxygen cylinders on the vehicles exploded, causing windows to shatter in an adjacent apartment block. The fires were in the car park next to Machzike Hadath Synagogue on Highfield Road. Nearby houses were evacuated as a precaution and road closures remained in place. The fire was brought under control at 3:06 a.m. GMT, according to the fire brigade.

No one was injured and the fires in the car park next to Machzike Hadath Synagogue on Highfield Road, Golders Green, were put out. Golders Green ward councillor Dean Cohen, who was at the scene, said the fact the incident had taken place in the "car park of a synagogue is particularly chilling and will send shock waves through our community at a time of already heightened fears over antisemitism in the UK." Neighbour Mark Reisner arrived just in time to watch the scale of the destruction: he heard loud explosions and arrived at the scene "just as the third ambulance was blowing up," telling Sky News, "A very loud explosion, you sort of felt it go through your guts," adding, "it's just left us all reeling with confusion and shock."

Prime Minister Keir Starmer called it a "horrific antisemitic attack," adding, "It's really important that we all stand together at a moment like this." Health Secretary Wes Streeting announced that the government will fund the replacement of all four ambulances, with additional staff from the London Ambulance Service set to support Hatzola in the meantime. Over half a million pounds had already been raised through separate public fundraising pages within hours of the attack.

Hatzola Northwest is a registered charity headquartered in Golders Green that offers "a 24/7 community service, operating 365 days a year to provide a swift response to medical emergencies in a 2.5-mile radius" from its base. The organisation has served the North London community since 1979. Hatzola is a non-profit volunteer organization that responds to both Jewish and non-Jewish medical emergencies.

Mark Gardner, chief executive of the Community Security Trust, which advises Britain's estimated 290,000 Jews on security matters, said the fires had an "obvious parallel to similar recent anti-Jewish arson attacks in Liege, Rotterdam, and Amsterdam." The number of antisemitic incidents reported across the U.K. has soared since Hamas' October 7, 2023, attack on Israel and the ensuing war in Gaza, according to the Community Security Trust.

Supt Jackson said officers would engage with faith leaders and carry out additional patrols in the Golders Green area to provide reassurance. Rowley, speaking to the Community Security Trust's annual dinner, acknowledged that "the rapid growth in recent years of Iranian state threats is grave," while stressing that investigators have not yet drawn a definitive line between the attack and Tehran.