Four men have admitted setting fire to four ambulances belonging to a Jewish charity during an arson attack in London back in March.
Hamza Iqbal, 20, Rehan Khan, 19, Judex Atshatshi, 18, and Saif Ali, who can now be named after turning 18 in June, pleaded guilty to destroying or damaging property by arson at the Old Bailey yesterday.
The damage from the attack was said to have amounted to £1 million.
They have all been remanded in custody and will be sentenced on a date yet to be determined, but likely to be in spring 2027.
The attack, which prosecutors said was a “targeted attack against the Jewish community,” took place in the early hours of March 23, 2026, when four vehicles belonging to the Hatzola charity were set alight in north-west London.
The court heard that three of the men set fire to the ambulances, whilst a fourth waited in a getaway car nearby.
The getaway car is said to have been sourced by Ali from east London and used to travel to Golders Green.
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The blaze caused gas canisters inside the ambulances to explode and also caused damage to nearby flats and a synagogue, prosecutors said.
Prosecutor Emma Harraway told reporters: “There is significant evidence that this was a premeditated and targeted attack against the Jewish community.”
Terrorist connection denied
Prosecutor Leo Seelig said he would submit to the sentencing judge that the attack had a “terrorist connection,” but the court heard this was denied by all four men.
Although prosecutors said the motive behind the attack had not yet been established, an Iran-aligned group, Harakar Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya (HAYI), had previously claimed responsibility online.
Police have already investigated the possible involvement of Iranian-aligned groups in the attack.
The Iranian embassy “categorically rejected” any allegations of involvement with the attack in April, or any “violent activities or incidents” in the U.K.
In addition to destroying each of the vehicles, valued at £250,000, additional damage to electrical charging stations and cables caused around £5,000 in damage each.
Hatzola is a volunteer-led Jewish organisation that operates in Golders Green, where a large Jewish community resides. The organisation provides emergency medical response and transport to the community.
