An arson attack targeted four ambulances belonging to the Jewish Community Ambulance Service, Hatzola, outside a synagogue in Golders Green, north London, on March 23, 2026.
The incident occurred in the early hours of the morning when the London Fire Brigade arrived at approximately 1:40 GMT to find the ambulances engulfed in flames. Police Superintendent Sarah Jackson, who is leading the investigation, stated: “We know this incident will cause a great deal of community concern and officers remain on scene to carry out urgent enquiries.” She added that authorities were examining CCTV footage and online videos, with an initial focus on three suspects.
The blaze triggered explosions from gas cylinders inside the ambulances, shattering windows in a neighboring apartment block. Nearby homes were evacuated as a precaution, and local roads were closed. No injuries were reported by 3:06 GMT, though the fires had been brought under control at that time.
Metropolitan Police have not made any arrests and are urging anyone with information to come forward. The attack is being treated as an anti-Semitic hate crime. Authorities noted a recent wave of terrorist attacks targeting Jewish communities worldwide since the start of what was described in the text as “the Iran war” in late February.
The police also referenced a previous serious anti-Semitic incident in Manchester last October, when Syrian immigrant Jihad al-Shamie carried out a vehicle ramming and knife attack at a synagogue while on bail for rape.
