March 25, 2026, 2:01 AM

LONDON — The arson attack on several ambulances belonging to a Jewish volunteer organization is being investigated as a hate crime against Jews, London police said on Monday.

Authorities are searching for three suspects who appeared in surveillance footage as they poured flammable liquid onto the vehicles, set them on fire, and fled.
The incident occurred in Golders Green, a north London suburb with many Jewish synagogues, schools, and restaurants. Prime Minister Keir Starmer described it as a “deeply shocking act of anti-Semitic arson.”

The fire destroyed four ambulances belonging to the Hatzola Northwest volunteer organization. According to the London Fire Brigade, “several gas cylinders on the vehicles” exploded, shattering windows in nearby buildings.
London’s Metropolitan Police also confirmed recording explosions involving gas cylinders on the ambulances. No arrests have been made, and fortunately, there were no casualties.

Videos on social media, verified by NBC News, show intense flames erupting from the ambulances, accompanied by thick columns of black smoke. Another video captures a large explosion as firefighters battle the blaze.

While not officially identified as a terrorist act, the investigation is currently being led by counterterrorism forces, according to Detective Chief Superintendent Luke Williams of Metropolitan Police.

“We are aware of an online claim from a group claiming responsibility for the attack. Verifying the authenticity and accuracy of this claim is a top priority for the investigation team, but we cannot confirm it at this time,” Williams added without naming the group.

Later, Cmdr. Helen Flanagan – head of Counter Terrorism Policing London – stated that CCTV analysis “shows three hooded figures pouring flammable liquid onto the vehicles” before “setting them on fire and fleeing.”

The London Fire Brigade received its first emergency call at approximately 1:40 a.m. (9:40 p.m. Sunday ET), followed by a total of 56 calls. Six fire engines and around 40 firefighters were dispatched. The fire was completely contained shortly after 3:00 a.m. local time.

Police are deploying a focused patrol plan targeting key community locations in the area, a plan that will continue for the next few days, especially as Pᴀssover – a major Jewish holiday – approaches in early April.
“My thoughts are with the Jewish community waking up this morning to this terrible news,” Prime Minister Starmer posted on X. “Antisemitism has no place in our society. Anyone with information please tell the police immediately.”
Hatzola Northwest was founded in 1979 as a non-profit organization to provide free emergency medical services to North London residents. According to the organization’s website, they work closely with national emergency services and local hospitals, responding to thousands of calls each year – from minor injuries to life-threatening conditions.

British Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis called the attack “a particularly sick act – not only targeting the Jewish community but also the shared values ​​of our society.” He stressed on X that the Hatzola volunteer ambulance team “is an extraordinary service, whose sole mission is to protect lives, whether Jewish or not.”
Health Minister Wes Streeting announced on Monday morning that four replacement ambulances would be provided until new vehicles are permanently available, according to the BBC. He said the incident had “hit the heart of London’s Jewish community.”

Labour MP Sarah Sackman, representing Finchley and Golders Green, called on the X that those responsible for the “cowardly, despicable anti-Semitic arson” in her area must “face the full weight of the law.”
Reported anti-Semitic incidents in Britain have surged since the Israel-Hamas conflict erupted in late 2023, including numerous attacks on synagogues. The Community Security Trust – a charity protecting the British Jewish community – recorded 3,700 incidents last year, compared to 1,662 in 2022.
Last October, two people were killed and three seriously injured when a man drove a vehicle into a crowd and stabbed them at a synagogue in Manchester – an incident police described as a terrorist attack.

According to the 2021 census data, Golders Green has approximately 15,000 residents, half of whom are Jewish.