Four individuals entered guilty pleas in connection with an arson attack on ambulances operated by Hatzola, a Jewish volunteer ambulance service based in the Golders Green area of north London. The defendants—Hamza Iqbal, Rehan Khan, Judex Atshatshi, and Saif Ali—admitted to charges of destroying or damaging property and acting recklessly with regard to endangering life.
The incident occurred in the early hours of March 23, when four fully stocked ambulances were set alight. Each vehicle was valued at approximately 250,000 pounds. The resulting fire caused gas canisters inside the ambulances to explode, with flames also damaging nearby residential buildings and a synagogue in the vicinity. According to court proceedings, three of the defendants were involved in setting the fires while a fourth remained in a getaway vehicle.
The attack took place during a period when multiple incidents described as antisemitic were reported across London. Prosecutors noted the timing coincided with military operations involving the U.S. and Israel against Iran, beginning in late February. Law enforcement officials, including counterterrorism police, examined whether Iranian proxy groups might have been involved. Online claims for similar attacks in the area have been attributed to Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia, described as the Islamic Movement of the Companions of the Right. The Iranian Embassy in the United Kingdom issued a statement rejecting “categorically” any allegations of involvement in violent activities within the country.
At the same hearing, a fifth defendant, Subhan Ahmed, pleaded not guilty to a charge of assisting an offender. Ahmed is accused of helping to dispose of the vehicle used in the attack and is scheduled for trial in January. Justice Bobbie Cheema-Grubb stated that sentencing for the four guilty defendants will occur in spring 2027, following the conclusion of Ahmed’s separate trial.
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