Four plead guilty to arson attack on Jewish community ambulances

Four men have pleaded guilty to an arson attack that set fire to four ambulances operated by the Jewish volunteer charity Hatzola in north‑west London, causing an estimated £1 million in damage. The defendants – Hamza Iqbal, 20; Rehan Khan, 19; Judex Atshatshi; and Saif Ali, both 18 – were charged with destroying or damaging property with reckless disregard for life. Prosecutors said the attack was a targeted assault on the Jewish community.

The incident occurred in the early hours of 23 March in Golders Green, a residential area of northwest London with a sizable Jewish population. The ambulances, which provide emergency medical services to the community, were set alight on the street where they were parked. CCTV footage and forensic evidence confirmed the fire was deliberate. The four vehicles were completely destroyed, and the fire caused extensive damage to surrounding properties and infrastructure.

All four defendants pleaded guilty in court on 30 April. The plea was accepted by the Crown Prosecution Service, and the case was moved to sentencing. The defendants face a maximum penalty of up to 12 years in prison each, depending on the outcome of the sentencing hearing. The Crown has indicated that the sentence will be handed down in spring 2027, after the court reviews the circumstances and the defendants’ remorse. The prosecution is likely to seek a custodial sentence, given the scale of the damage and the perceived intent to intimidate a specific community.

Hatzola, founded in 1951, is a volunteer ambulance service that provides rapid medical response to the Jewish community in the United Kingdom. The organisation is funded by donations and operates a fleet of ambulances and emergency vehicles that are staffed by trained volunteers. The four ambulances destroyed in the attack were part of a fleet that serves thousands of residents in London and the surrounding areas. The loss of these vehicles has disrupted the charity’s ability to respond to medical emergencies in the short term, and the organisation has appealed for support to replace the damaged fleet.

The attack has been described by police and community leaders as an act of antisemitic violence. The Metropolitan Police’s Counter Terrorism Command confirmed that the incident was investigated as a potential hate crime. The police have called for witnesses to come forward and for anyone with information about the attack to contact them. The police have also warned that they are monitoring for further threats to the Jewish community in the city.

Antisemitic attacks have increased in the UK in recent years. In 2022, the UK government recorded 1,500 antisemitic incidents, a rise of 14 % from the previous year, according to the Home Office. The government has pledged to tackle hate crimes and has increased funding for community support. The Hatzola incident is one of several that have highlighted the vulnerability of minority communities to targeted violence.

The four defendants are now awaiting sentencing, and the case is being closely followed by the Jewish community and human rights groups. The sentencing is expected to take place in spring 2027, at which point the court will consider the defendants’ background, the nature of the crime, and any mitigating or aggravating factors. The outcome will set a precedent for how the justice system treats arson attacks that target specific ethnic or religious groups.

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