Four Muslims Admit Arson of Hatzalah Ambulances in North London

Four young men admitted in a London court to setting fire to four Hatzalah ambulances in the ultra-Orthodox Golders Green neighborhood in North London. The incident occurred in the early morning hours of March 23, causing approximately one million pounds in damage and also harming nearby apartments and a synagogue due to gas canisters exploding inside the vehicles.

The defendants, Hamza Iqbal (20), Rahan Khan (19), Judex Atchatchi (18), and Saif Ali (whose name was released after he turned 18 in June), reportedly acted on behalf of Iran. According to the indictment, Ali provided the Toyota car used to transport the group from East London, while the other three carried out the arson as the fourth waited in the vehicle.

Security footage captured three masked individuals approaching the ambulance parking lot and setting the vehicles ablaze, then fleeing the scene. Although the incident was not officially classified as terrorism, the four were arrested by the counterterrorism unit and remain in custody pending sentencing.

Prosecutor Emma Harvey stated there is significant evidence the attack was a planned assault against the Jewish community, despite the defense claiming the exact motive is unclear. An Iran-linked Islamist group claimed responsibility for the attack, which followed similar attempts on Jewish targets in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Rotterdam around the same time.