Hooded figures torch ambulances of London Jewish charity

Police were investigating an arson attack in northwest London as an anti-Semitic incident, they said Monday. Around 1:45 a.m. local time, London police received reports of a fire in a synagogue parking lot. They found four ambulances on fire in the lot. The vehicles belonged to Hatzola, a free ambulance service run by members of the Jewish community, according to police. All four ambulances were destroyed, though no injuries occurred as a result of the incident, according to police.

Video surveillance appeared to show three hooded figures pouring an accelerant onto the vehicles, igniting it, and fleeing. Government counterterrorism authorities were leading the investigation, police said. They could not confirm whether an Iran-linked group was behind the incident, they said.

Authorities briefly evacuated more than 30 people living nearby while responders fought the fire. Oxygen canisters on board the vehicles caused several explosions as they burned, police said. The charity only had four ambulances assigned to that portion of London, according to its website.

British Health Secretary Wes Streeting said the government would loan four ambulances to the charity and fund permanent replacements. Prime Minister Keir Starmer referred to the arson attack as a horrifying instance of anti-Semitism. He was in touch with Jewish community leaders, he said.

How did Hatzola respond to the incident? The charity on Monday said its staff was shocked and saddened by the incident. Its lifesaving services were for everyone regardless of faith or background, it said. The charity was working with police and other support agencies to ensure the safety of its facilities and remaining resources.

Dig deeper: Read Christina Grube’s story about the U.S. government’s lawsuit against Harvard for alleged anti-Semitism.