March 23 (Reuters) - Four ambulances belonging to a Jewish community organisation in north London were set ablaze, police said on Monday, adding that the incident was being treated as an antisemitic
London Jewish community ambulances set ablaze in antisemitic attack, PM says
Details and Reactions to the North London Arson Attack
By Suban Abdulla and Sam Tabahriti
LONDON, March 23 (Reuters) - Four Jewish community ambulances were set ablaze in north London on Monday in what British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called "a deeply shocking antisemitic arson attack".
The London Fire Brigade said multiple cylinders on the vehicles exploded, shattering nearby windows. No injuries were reported and no arrests have been made.
Claim of Responsibility and Investigation
The SITE Intelligence website said an Iran-aligned multinational militant collective called Islamic Movement of the People of the Right Hand had claimed responsibility for the attack near a synagogue in Golders Green.
It said the group had been behind similar fires in Liege, Belgium, and Rotterdam and Amsterdam in the Netherlands.
British lawmakers and the domestic spy agency MI5 have warned of threats posed by Iran, including the surveillance or targeting of Jewish sites. Tehran has denied such accusations.
Police and Security Response
Security footage showed three men in hooded jackets approaching the ambulances before they were engulfed in flames.
Police said the fires were being treated as an antisemitic hate crime and not as a terrorist incident, but the investigation would be led by counter-terrorism officers who had specialist expertise. They also said they could not confirm the authenticity of the online claim by the Iran-aligned group.
Dutch prosecutors have said claims made by the group were part of the investigation into attacks on a Jewish school in Amsterdam and a synagogue in Rotterdam, but declined to say anything further.
Community and International Reactions
Israeli Embassy Condemns Climate of Intimidation
The Israeli embassy in London, which has long criticised Britain for failing to do more to tackle antisemitism, said the firebombings followed years of "hate-filled marches" in support of the Palestinians, along with incitement and intimidation.
"Enough is enough," it said on X, calling for "decisive action to put an end to this climate of intimidation before it spirals further. Silence and inaction are no longer an option."
Local and Political Responses
Amid tense scenes in London on Monday, several men briefly challenged an Al Jazeera camera crew who were present. Others urged the visiting health minister, Wes Streeting, to view a nearby wall covered in pictures of people killed in Iran.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan condemned the attack and said police patrols would be increased in the area.
"My thoughts are with the Jewish community who are waking up this morning to this horrific news," Starmer said on X. "Antisemitism has no place in our society."
Support for Hatzola Ambulance Service
The ambulances belonged to Hatzola, a not-for-profit volunteer organisation that works alongside Britain's health service and was founded in the 1960s in Brooklyn, New York, to provide services to its Yiddish speaking, Hasidic community.
Board of Deputies President Phil Rosenberg said the Hatzola service would continue to operate for the "nation that we love". Streeting said the government would replace the ambulances.
Wider Context: Rising Attacks on Jewish Targets
Recent Incidents and Government Response
Attacks against Jewish people and targets have risen worldwide since the October 2023 Hamas assault on Israel that triggered the Gaza war, including in Britain. Starmer had warned that the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran would stoke tensions further.
The most severe incident was a 2025 attack in Manchester that killed two Jewish worshippers during Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar.
The government says it is working with Muslim and Jewish organisations to protect sensitive sites.
(Reporting by Andy Bruce in Manchester, Sam Tabahriti and Suban Abdulla in London, and Gursimran Kaur in Bengaluru. Writing by Kate Holton; Editing by Tom Hogue, Shri Navaratnam and Alison Williams)
