Four Hatzola ambulances destroyed in London, Iran-aligned group claims responsibility

The London Fire Brigade, which sent six fire engines and 40 firefighters to the scene, said multiple cylinders on the vehicles exploded, causing windows to shatter in an adjacent apartment block. No injuries were reported.

It said the group had been behind similar fires in Belgium, Greece and the Netherlands.

Starmer described the incident as deeply shocking.

"My thoughts are with the Jewish community who are waking up this morning to this horrific news," he said on X. "Antisemitism has no place in our society."

Israel's embassy in Britain said antisemitism was rampant in London and said the firebombing of ambulances was the consequence of years of hate being tolerated in plain sight.

"Enough is enough," the embassy said on X. "There must be a thorough investigation and decisive action to put an end to this climate of intimidation before it spirals further. Silence and inaction are no longer an option."

The ambulances belonged to Hatzola, a not-for-profit volunteer organization that responds to medical emergencies.

Attacks against Jewish people and targets have risen worldwide since the October 2023 Hamas attacks in Israel that triggered the Gaza war, and Starmer had warned that the US-Israeli war on Iran would stoke tensions further.

He said in early March that the government would work with Muslim and Jewish organizations to ensure that sensitive sites had appropriate security.

Britain has recorded significantly higher levels of antisemitic hate since the 2023 attack, with the most severe incident a 2025 attack in Manchester that killed two Jewish worshippers during Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar.

Mark Gardner, chief executive of the Community Security Trust, which advises Britain's estimated 290,000 Jews on security matters, said the fires had an "obvious parallel to similar recent anti-Jewish arson attacks in Liege, Rotterdam and Amsterdam."

London Mayor Sadiq Khan condemned the attack and said police patrols would be increased in the area.

The London Fire Brigade said the fire was under control by 0306 GMT.

London's Metropolitan Police said officers remained at the scene and that the arson attack was being treated as an antisemitic hate crime.

Police confirmed that there were no casualties in the incident.

"We know this incident will cause a great deal of community concern, and officers remain on scene to carry out urgent enquiries. We are in the process of examining CCTV and are aware of online footage. We believe we are looking for three suspects at this early stage," the Met's Superintendent Sarah Jackson said.

"We will be engaging with faith leaders and carrying out additional patrols in the local area as we continue our investigation to provide reassurance and a highly visible presence," she added.

"There have been no arrests yet, and we would urge anyone with information to please contact us as soon as possible - you can do so anonymously if you wish," she said.

Hatzola Northwest is a registered charity in the UK, headquartered in Golders Green, that offers "a 24/7 community service, operating 365 days a year to provide a swift response to medical emergencies in a 2.5-mile radius" from its headquarters, according to the organization's website.

"The service is provided free of charge by our 61 fully qualified medics and paramedic volunteer responders, all of whom have undergone and continue to receive intensive training.

They are equipped with comprehensive Basic Life Support kits, including resuscitation equipment, oxygen, and defibrillators and are ready to drop everything to respond to a medical emergency.

Hatzola Northwest presently has a fleet of five active ambulances and 3 Fast response Units, which are used for responding when needed, including urgent patient transport as required," the website says.