British authorities have apprehended a fourth individual in connection with the recent arson attack on Jewish community ambulances. The arrest took place at a London court where three other suspects were already facing charges related to the incident. The accused, Hamza Iqbal, 20, Rehan Khan, 19, and an unnamed 17-year-old, allegedly set fire to four ambulances belonging to the Jewish volunteer emergency service Hatzola on March 23 near a synagogue in the Golders Green area of north London.
The London Metropolitan Police revealed that the fourth suspect, a 19-year-old man, was recognized by officers during a court appearance and subsequently taken into custody on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life. The three men previously charged are facing accusations of arson with intent to damage property and endangering lives recklessly. While two of them are British nationals, the third holds dual British-Pakistani citizenship.
All three initial suspects have been remanded in custody, with the 17-year-old being ordered to be held in youth detention accommodation. According to the Crown Prosecution Service, 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 SITE Intelligence website reported that a multinational militant group linked to Iran, known as the Islamic Movement of the People of the Right Hand, claimed responsibility for the incident, stating that they have been involved in similar incidents across Europe.
Counter-terrorism officers are overseeing the investigation in the UK, although the incident is not currently classified as terrorism. Hatzola is a volunteer emergency service that operates alongside the National Health Service and mainly serves the Orthodox Jewish community. Although explosions from cylinders on the ambulances shattered nearby windows during the attack, fortunately, no injuries were reported.
Police and community groups have noted a rise in attacks targeting Jewish individuals and institutions in Britain since the 2023 Hamas assault on Israel that led to the conflict in Gaza.