Four Plead Guilty to Arson Attack on Jewish Ambulances in London

Four men have pleaded guilty to charges related to an arson attack that destroyed four ambulances operated by a Jewish charity in north London. The incident occurred in the early hours of March 23 and was one of several antisemitic attacks reported in the weeks following the start of U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28.

The defendants—Hamza Iqbal, 20, Rehan Khan, 19, Judex Atshatshi, and Saif Ali, both 18—admitted to destroying or damaging property and being reckless as to whether life would be endangered. The ambulances, each valued at around £250,000 ($340,000), belonged to Hatzola, a volunteer-led Jewish charity serving the Golders Green area.

Prosecutors stated that three of the men set fire to the fully stocked vehicles while a fourth waited in a car. The blaze caused gas canisters inside the ambulances to explode, damaging nearby apartments and a synagogue. The court heard that the incident had a "terrorist connection," though no mention was made of potential Iranian proxies.

Counterterrorism police had investigated the possible involvement of Iranian proxies in the attack, as well as other incidents targeting Jewish sites in London. Many such attacks have been claimed online by a group calling itself Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia. The Iranian Embassy in the U.K. has categorically rejected any involvement in violent activities in the country.

At the same hearing, a fifth defendant, Subhan Ahmed, 18, pleaded not guilty to assisting an offender. He is accused of helping to dispose of the car used in the attack and will face trial on January 27. Sentencing for the four guilty men will take place in spring 2027, following the conclusion of Ahmed's trial, as ordered by Justice Bobbie Cheema-Grubb at London's Central Criminal Court.