Four London Jewish ambulances damaged in suspected antisemitic arson
Police said the incident was being treated as an anti-Semitic hate crime.
Upon the report of a fire, police officers were called to the Golders Green neighborhood of London, where the Jewish population is dense.
Four ambulances belonging to Hatzola Northwest, a volunteer organization that provides emergency medical response, were damaged, according to the London fire brigade.
While the windows of the adjacent apartment block were broken as a result of the explosion of many cylinders in the vehicles, no injuries were reported and the fire was brought under control.
Authorities stated that the cause of the fire was being investigated.
Police Inspector Sarah Jackson said: “We know this incident will cause great concern to the community and officers will remain at the scene to carry out urgent investigations.” He added that no arrests have been made yet and police are conducting additional patrols in the area.
Police said the explosions were linked to gas cylinders in the ambulances. As a precaution, surrounding houses were evacuated.
The number of anti-Semitic incidents reported across the UK has increased since the start of the Israel-Hamas War in 2023, according to the Community Security Trust, which works to protect the Jewish community. The group grew from 1,662 in 2022 to 3,700 in 2025.
In October 2025, an attacker drove his car into people gathered outside a synagogue in Manchester to celebrate the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur and stabbed one person to death. Another person died after being accidentally shot by the police during the attack.
