London, Mar 24:
Four ambulances belonging to a Jewish charity in London were set on fire early Monday morning in London, in what British police are investigating as a hate crime.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the “deeply shocking” antisemitic arson attack.
“My thoughts are with the Jewish community who are waking up this morning to this horrific news,” he said.
Officers were called to Golders Green, a London neighbourhood with a large Jewish population, after receiving reports of a fire, the Metropolitan Police force said.
Four ambulances belonging to Hatzola Northwest, a volunteer organisation that provides emergency medical response, were damaged, according to the London fire brigade.
Multiple cylinders on the vehicles exploded, causing windows to break in an adjacent apartment block. The force said no injuries have been reported and the fire has been brought under control. The cause of the fire is being investigated, authorities said.
“We know this incident will cause a great deal of community concern and officers remain on scene to carry out urgent enquiries,” Police Superintendent Sarah Jackson said. She added that the police are looking for three suspects but no arrests have been made yet.
Police said reports of explosions were linked to gas canisters on the ambulances. Nearby homes were evacuated as a precautionary measure. Mark Reisner, an eyewitness who lives in the neighbourhood, heard loud explosions and reached the scene “just as the third ambulance was blowing up,” he told Sky News.
“A very loud explosion, you sort of felt it go through your guts,” he said, adding, “it’s just left us all reeling with confusion and shock.”
Shomrim, a nonprofit organisation which operates a neighbourhood watch in the area, condemned the attack. “This was not only a criminal act of arson, but a targeted and deeply concerning incident affecting a vital emergency service serving the local Jewish community,” it said in a post on X.
The number of antisemitic incidents reported across the UK has soared since the start of the Israel-Hamas war in late 2023, according to the Community Security Trust, which works to protect the Jewish community. The group recorded 3,700 incidents in 2025, up from 1,662 in 2022.
In October 2025, an attacker drove his car into people gathered outside a Manchester synagogue to celebrate the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur and stabbed one person to death. Another person died during the attack after being inadvertently shot by police.