Jewish Community Ambulances Set On Fire In London In Antisemitic Attack

London, March 23: British police are investigating an apparent arson attack on four vehicles belonging to a Jewish ambulance service in London early Monday morning. The police said the incident is being treated as an antisemitic hate crime. Officers were called to Golders Green, a London neighbourhood with a large Jewish population, after receiving reports of a fire.

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 block of flats, it said in a statement, adding that 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 no arrests have been made yet, and police were carrying out additional patrols in the area. Police said reports of explosions were linked to gas canisters on the ambulances. Nearby homes were evacuated as a precautionary measure.

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 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.