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3h ago

Counterterror Police Lead Probe After Hatzola Ambulances Torched in Golders Green

The case tests how quickly authorities can verify online claims to reassure a community facing rising antisemitic threats.

View at burnt ambulances in a car park at Golders Green in London, Monday, March 23, 2026 after an apparent arson attack on four vehicles belonging to a Jewish ambulance service, Hatzola Northwest.(AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)
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LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 23: An aerial view as fire services continue to monitor the scene after four Hatzolah ambulances were set on fire overnight next to Machzike Hadath Synagogue, on March 23, 2026 in London, England. Firefighters were called to the scene at around 1:40AM and the fire was brought under control just after 3:00 AM. Hatzola is a volunteer organisation that provides Jewish people emergency medical response and free transportation to hospitals. The Metropolitan Police said they are treating the incident as an "antisemitic hate crime." (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)

Overview

  • Four Hatzola ambulances in Golders Green, a north London Jewish area, were set alight early Monday, triggering oxygen cylinder blasts that blew out windows and forced evacuations, with no injuries reported.
  • Metropolitan Police are treating the arson as an antisemitic hate crime, and Counter Terrorism Policing has taken charge of the investigation as officers search for three suspects seen on CCTV pouring accelerant.
  • Detectives are reviewing a Telegram video in which a group calling itself Harakat Ashab al‑Yamin claims responsibility, and monitoring firm SITE describes the network as Iran‑aligned, but police have not verified the claim.
  • Officials pledged swift practical support, with the government funding replacements for the destroyed vehicles and the Met deploying more than 250 extra officers with highly visible armed patrols to protect Jewish sites ahead of Passover.
  • Hatzola is a volunteer service that provides free emergency care to anyone in the area, and the attack lands during a period of rising antisemitic incidents in the UK and Europe, including deadly violence at a Manchester synagogue in 2025.