LONDON, March 23 — Four ambulances belonging to a Jewish community organisation in north London were set on fire in an incident police are treating as an antisemitic hate crime.
The Metropolitan Police said an investigation had been launched after the vehicles, operated by the Jewish Community Ambulance service, were torched in Golders Green, according to Reuters.
“Officers remain on scene and the arson attack is being treated as an antisemitic hate crime,” the force said in a statement.
The ambulances belonged to Hatzola, a volunteer-run, not-for-profit group that provides emergency medical response services.
The London Fire Brigade said it deployed six fire engines and around 40 firefighters after receiving emergency calls at 0140 GMT.
“Multiple cylinders on the vehicles exploded and caused windows to break in an adjacent block of flats. No injuries are reported,” it said.
The fire was brought under control by 0306 GMT, the brigade added.
The incident comes amid a rise in attacks against Jewish individuals and institutions since the Hamas attacks that triggered the Gaza war.
Britain has recorded a significant increase in antisemitic incidents over the past year, with one of the most serious cases being a deadly attack in Manchester during Yom Kippur. — Reuters
