British authorities have apprehended a fourth individual in connection with a recent arson incident involving Jewish community ambulances. The arrest took place at a London court where three other suspects were already being charged. The individuals in custody, Hamza Iqbal, 20, Rehan Khan, 19, and an unnamed 17-year-old, are accused of setting fire to four ambulances owned by the Jewish emergency service, Hatzola, on March 23 near a synagogue in the Golders Green area of north London.
The Metropolitan Police in London disclosed that the fourth suspect, a 19-year-old man, was recognized at the court by officers as being linked to the attack. He was arrested on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life and taken into custody. The three charged men face allegations of arson with intent to damage property and endangering lives recklessly. While two are British citizens, the third holds dual British-Pakistani citizenship.
All three individuals have been placed in custody, with the 17-year-old directed to youth detention facilities. The authorities believe that a total of four individuals were involved in carrying out the attack. Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the incident as a “deeply shocking antisemitic arson attack.”
The investigation is being led by counter-terrorism officers in the UK, although the incident is not currently classified as terrorism. Hatzola is a volunteer emergency service that operates in partnership with the National Health Service and predominantly serves the Orthodox Jewish community. Despite explosions from cylinders on the ambulances causing damage to nearby windows, no injuries were reported.
Notably, there has been an increase in attacks on Jewish individuals and targets in Britain following the 2023 Hamas assault on Israel, according to law enforcement agencies and community organizations.
