Jewish volunteer ambulances set on fire in UK ‘antisemitic arson attack’ – National
Four ambulances belonging to the Jewish community of Hatzolah, a voluntary emergency service, were set on fire overnight while parked in a residential area in north-west London in what British leaders described as an “unlawful arson attack.”
The London Fire Brigade, which sent six fire engines and 40 firefighters to the scene, said several cylinders in the cars exploded, shattering nearby windows. No injuries were reported, and no arrests have been made.
Security footage of the incident showed three hooded suspects approaching the vehicles before setting them on fire.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the incident, which happened around 1:30 a.m. GMT on Monday, a “shocking and tragic attack.”
“My thoughts are with the Jewish community who are waking up this morning to this horrific news,” Starmer told X. “Antisemitism has no place in our society.”
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UK police said the fires were being treated as hate crimes and the investigation would be led by counter-terrorism experts.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan condemned the attack and vowed to increase security and police presence.
“This is a cowardly attack on the Jewish community. I am very close to the police who are stepping up patrols in the area, and I urge anyone with information to come forward. Londoners will never be intimidated by this kind of hate and intimidation,” he wrote in X.
The incident took place in north-west London in the Golders Green area, which is home to many Jews.
Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis said in a statement on Instagram following the attack, “At a time when Jewish communities around the world are facing an increasing pattern of these violent attacks, we will meet this time with collective determination and stand against hatred and intimidation.”
The ambulances belonged to Hatzolah, a volunteer organization that responds to medical emergencies and works alongside the UK’s National Health Service.
An emergency service officer looks over the fire response team in London, Monday, March 23, 2026, after an apparent attack on four Jewish ambulances, Hatzola, northwest London.
AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali
It was founded in the 1960s in Brooklyn, New York, to provide medical services to its Yiddish-speaking, Hasidic community and has since expanded worldwide, providing emergency medical care to Jewish communities around the world.
Board of Deputies President Phil Rosenberg said the Hatzola ministry will continue to serve “the nation we love,” saying, “we will not budge.”
Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said the government would replace the ambulances.
More to come.
In files from Reuters
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