World News

Four men plead guilty to north London Jewish ambulance arson

The March attack destroyed four Hatzola community ambulances and caused substantial damage in Golders Green.

Updated Aug 28, 2026 · 16:20 UTC3 reports

The short version

Four men pleaded guilty to reckless destruction of property following a March 23 arson attack that destroyed four Jewish community ambulances in north London.
The attack caused approximately £1 million in damage as the fire exploded gas canisters, damaging a nearby synagogue, apartments, and electrical charging infrastructure.
Prosecutors argue the incident has a terrorist connection, a claim disputed by defense counsel and officially rejected by the Iranian Embassy after police investigated potential state-proxy links.

Hamza Iqbal, 20, Rehan Khan, 19, Judex Atshatshi, 18, and Saif Ali, 18, pleaded guilty at the Old Bailey to destroying or damaging property being reckless whether life would be endangered.[BBC News · Associated Press]
The arson targeted four fully stocked ambulances owned by the Jewish volunteer-led charity Hatzola in the Golders Green area.[BBC News · Associated Press]
The four destroyed vehicles were valued at approximately £250,000 ($340,000) each, totaling £1 million in vehicular damage.[BBC News · Associated Press]
The resulting fire triggered gas canister explosions inside the vehicles, damaging nearby apartments, a synagogue, and charging equipment.[BBC News · Associated Press]
Prosecutor Leo Seelig argued that the arson was a targeted attack against the Jewish community and should be sentenced under a terrorism connection.[BBC News · Associated Press]
A fifth defendant, Subhan Ahmed, 18, pleaded not guilty to assisting an offender by allegedly helping to dispose of the getaway car, with his trial set for January 27, 2027.[BBC News · Associated Press]

Defense counsel has disputed the terrorism connection, and Justice Bobbie Cheema-Grubb has not yet ruled on whether the defendants will be sentenced on that basis.[BBC News]
Counterterrorism police investigated potential links to Iranian proxies after online claims by Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia, though the Iranian Embassy in the U.K. has categorically denied any involvement.[Associated Press]