Jewish volunteer ambulances set on fire in London was antisemitic attack: PM
· Toronto Sun
An arson attack on ambulances from a Jewish volunteer service is being investigated as a hate crime, police in London have confirmed.
The attack early Monday occurred in Golders Green, a north London suburb home to several synagogues and dozens of Jewish schools and restaurants.
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The damage impacted four ambulances, with “multiple cylinders on the vehicles” exploding, resulting in windows to break in nearby buildings, the London Fire Brigade said in a statement .
Prime Minister Keir Starmer denounced the “horrifying” and “deeply shocking antisemitic arson attack” in multiple posts on X .
“An attack on our Jewish community is an attack on us all,” he said. “We will fight the poison that is antisemitism.”
The antisemitic arson attack in Golders Green is horrifying.
— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) March 23, 2026
I’ve been in touch with Jewish community leaders this morning and will continue to do so throughout the day.
An attack on our Jewish community is an attack on us all. We will fight the poison that is antisemitism. pic.twitter.com/el2AqQ7F6a
Footage of the fire
Videos shared on social media showed the massive blaze from the scorched ambulances, as the flames sent up thick plumes of smoke.
An explosion erupts in another video, as firefighters worked to extinguish the flames.
The police said they were aware of explosions linked to the gas canisters onboard the ambulances.
No injuries were reported, Metropolitan Police Superintendent Sarah Jackson said in a statement, although nearby homes were evacuated as a precaution.
“We believe we are looking for three suspects at this early stage,” she said, noting that police are examining CCTV footage.
No arrests have been made.
🚨 BREAKING: Major antisemitic arson attack in Golders Green, London destroys all ambulances (at least 4) of Hatzola Northwest — a volunteer Jewish emergency service providing 24/7 medical aid. @Breaking911 has seen footage of the attackers. pic.twitter.com/GwCWXG38qB
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) March 23, 2026
“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,” Jackson said.
The fire brigade dispatched six fire engines and about 40 firefighters to the scene after receiving 56 calls, the first of which was at about 1:40 a.m. local time.
The fire was brought under control shortly after 3 a.m. local time.
Religious leaders, councillors express concern
Hatzola Northwest was established in 1979 to provide free emergency medical services to residents of North London.
It works closely with national emergency services and area hospitals and responds to thousands of calls a year, “from minor injuries to life-threatening conditions,” according to its website.
Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis said on X that the arson attack was “a particularly sickening assault — not only on the Jewish community, but on the values we share as a society.”
Mirvis added that the volunteer ambulance corps is “an extraordinary service, whose sole mission is to protect life, Jewish and non-Jewish alike.”
Sarah Sackman, Labour MP for Finchley and Golders Green took to X to call for the perpetrators of what she said was a “despicable, cowardly, antisemitic arson attack” in her community to feel “the full force of the law.”
The number of antisemitic incidents reported in Britain has surged since the Israel-Hamas war began in late 2023, including attacks on synagogues.
The Community Security Trust, a British charity that works to protect the country’s Jewish population, recorded 3,700 incidents in 2025, compared with 1,662 in 2022.
About 15,000 people live in Golders Green, half of whom are Jewish, according to 2021 census data.
— With files from The Associated Press