Several ambulances belonging to a Jewish volunteer rescue organisation were set on fire outside a synagogue in a neighbourhood home to London's largest Jewish community early on Monday, in what police are treating as an antisemitic attack.
Four ambulances belonging to the Jewish Community Ambulance service were set on fire in Golders Green, and the arson attack is being treated as an antisemitic hate crime. Security camera footage showed three masked people approach an ambulance belonging to the Hatzola Northwest organisation and set it on fire.
Flames lit up the night sky and residents of the northern suburb of Golders Green were woken by loud explosions as dozens of firefighters rushed to the area. No injuries have been reported and all the fires have been put out. Police are aware of reports of explosions, which are believed to be linked to gas canisters onboard the ambulances.
Hatzola Northwest Chairman Shloimie Richman confirmed that four of the organisation's six ambulances had been set alight, saying they were "deliberately targeted in an arson attack." Richman told CNN the organisation had concerns this is a direct attack on the Jewish community, and that they had not received any threats before the arson attacks.
Community impact
Golders Green is home to many synagogues, schools and kosher restaurants and is known for its large Jewish and Orthodox Jewish community. Superintendent Sarah Jackson, who leads policing in the Golders Green area, said police will be engaging with faith leaders and carrying out additional patrols in the local area to provide reassurance and a highly visible presence as the investigation continues.
Hatzola, which derives its name from the Hebrew word for "save", is a non-profit volunteer organisation that responds to thousands of emergencies each year in North London, manned by volunteer responders who provide high quality pre-hospital emergency care.
Broader context
The Community Security Trust (CST) recorded 3,700 antisemitic incidents across the United Kingdom in 2025, marking the second-highest annual total ever documented, representing a four percent increase from the 3,556 incidents reported in 2024. CST recorded an average of 308 antisemitic incidents per month, exactly double the monthly average of 154 incidents reported in the year preceding Hamas' attack on Israel.
Attacks against Jews and Jewish targets have risen worldwide since the Hamas attacks that triggered the Gaza war, with Britain recording significantly higher levels of antisemitic hate. A significant spike in incidents occurred following a fatal terrorist attack on a synagogue in Manchester on Yom Kippur in October, which led to the highest daily total of incidents recorded that year.
Police believe they are looking for three suspects at this early stage. No arrests have been made yet. The investigation is ongoing, with police examining CCTV footage and reviewing surveillance material from the scene.