Four London Jewish ambulances damaged in suspected antisemitic arson

British police are investigating a suspected arson attack that damaged four vehicles belonging to a Jewish ambulance service in London early Monday, in what authorities might be treating as an antisemitic hate crime, according to the Associated Press.

Officers were called to Golders Green, an area with a large Jewish population, after reports of a fire. Four ambulances belonging to Hatzola Northwest, a volunteer emergency medical response group, were damaged in the incident, the London Fire Brigade said.

Fire officials said multiple cylinders on the vehicles exploded during the blaze, shattering windows in a nearby block of flats. Authorities said the fire has been brought under control and no injuries were reported.


Police said they are investigating the cause of the fire and have launched inquiries at the scene.

“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 no arrests had been made so far and that additional patrols were being conducted in the area.

Police said reports of explosions were linked to gas canisters stored on the ambulances. Nearby homes were evacuated as a precaution while emergency services responded.

The attack comes amid a sharp rise in antisemitic incidents in the U.K. since the outbreak of the Israel–Hamas War, according to the Community Security Trust, a charity that monitors threats against Jewish communities. The group recorded 3,700 incidents in 2025, up from 1,662 in 2022.

In October 2025, a man drove his car into people gathered outside a Manchester synagogue during celebrations for the Jewish holiday Yom Kippur, fatally stabbing one person. Another individual died during the attack after being inadvertently shot by police.