Four young men appeared at London’s Old Bailey court and pleaded guilty to an arson attack that destroyed four emergency ambulances operated by a Jewish medical charity.
Guilty pleas entered in court
The suspects – Hamza Iqbal, 20, Rehan Khan, 19, Judex Atshatshi, 18, and Saif Ali, 18 – admitted to criminal damage and being reckless as to whether life was endangered.
A fifth individual pleaded not guilty to assisting an offender and will face trial later.
Details of the arson attack
The incident occurred on March 23 in Golders Green, a London neighborhood with a large Jewish population. Three defendants torched four vehicles parked near a synagogue while the fourth waited in a getaway car.
The fire ignited gas canisters inside the vehicles causing explosions that damaged nearby apartments. The destroyed vehicles belonged to Hatzola, a volunteer organization providing free emergency medical care.
Targeted antisemitic motif
Investigators highlighted evidence showing the fire was deliberate. Prosecution lawyer Emma Harraway stated in court that there was strong evidence this was “a premeditated and targeted attack against the Jewish community.”
Police also discovered suspicious internet searches on Iqbal’s phone including “how much do ambulances cost” and “how long does it take for police to “investigate arsons.”
Community and legal response
The attack destroyed fully stocked emergency vehicles inflicting an estimated £1 million ($1.4 million) in damages. Condemning the action, the Community Security Trust remarked:
“This was an appalling antisemitic act against a volunteer ambulance service providing emergency medical assistance to people of all backgrounds across north London, simply because those ambulances belonged to a Jewish charity.”
Authorities continue investigating wider extremist connections tied to the incident.
