Replacement ambulances delivered after London arson attack

Four replacement ambulances have arrived at the north London Jewish charity targeted in an arson attack which destroyed four vehicles.

The ambulances owned by Hatzola were set ablaze in Golders Green in the early hours of Monday, leading to an investigation led by the Metropolitan Police's counter-terror unit.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting said the government will be covering the cost of the four replacement ambulances - initially on loan - until permanent replacements can be delivered.

"The Jewish community should not bear the cost of this hatred," Streeting said.

"This moment demands more than practical support. The Jewish community will not stand alone - the government and this entire country stand with them.

"The answer cannot simply be higher walls, thicker doors, more CCTV. We also have to deal with this hatred at its source. We have to confront and beat the evil ideas that are permeating in our society."

Although the case is not being classed as a terror incident, the Met said the investigation is currently being led by counter-terror officers "due to the circumstances of the incident and specialist capability" within the unit.

An online portal has been set up by the Met Police as detectives continue to appeal for footage and any witnesses.

On Monday evening Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley outlined additional security measures being put in place, which include 264 extra police officers being deployed to protect the Jewish community in London, alongside "additional highly visible firearms patrols".

At the scene of the attack on Tuesday morning, the cordon had been lifted, with the remains of the burnt-out ambulances still on site.

In the car park of the nearby Machzike Hadath Synagogue, destroyed medical equipment could be seen inside the vehicles, with shattered glass on the floor around them.

The stained glass windows of the synagogue were cracked, with windows as high as the fourth floor of a neighbouring block of flats blown out and boarded up from what appeared to be damage from exploding oxygen canisters.

President of the synagogue, Damon Hoff, praised the quick work of the emergency services and said most of the damage was to the exterior of the building.

"Clearly this was planned," Hoff told the BBC. "This wasn't just something that happened.

"All indications are, from what we've been told, is there was definitely surveillance and all indications are that we need to be aware that there is surveillance on our communities and infrastructure."

Earlier on Tuesday, Met Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor told BBC Radio 4's Today programme these type of incidents had a "huge impact on Jewish communities".

He said the Iranian-backed plots disrupted in the UK since October 2024 had included "everything from assassination, to kidnap, to espionage". Taylor added that the possibility the attack was backed by Iran is one line of inquiry and police were working to determine the motivation of the attackers.

Iran-aligned group Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya - The Islamic Movement of the People of the Right Hand - made an unsubstantiated claim of responsibility for the attack on its Telegram channel.

Reflecting on the moment the fires erupted on Monday morning, Hoff said he and other congregants rushed to the synagogue in case they need to rescue the Torah scrolls, the most important religious items inside a synagogue.

He believed it was "a miracle" the inside of the place of worship did not suffer more damage, adding that the synagogue reopened for prayer on Tuesday.

On Tuesday afternoon, as the four replacement vehicles were delivered to Golders Green, the London Ambulance Service said it stood "shoulder to shoulder" with Hatzola.

Run by volunteers, Hatzola has served the north London community of Golders Green, which has a large Jewish population, since 1979. There are dozens of synagogues throughout the area and, according to the London Data Store, 49% of residents in the Golders Green ward identify as Jewish.

Hatzola, the Hebrew word for save or rescue, is a large non-profit, Jewish-led organisation that provides a free emergency medical response and transportation to hospitals by volunteer medics.

As well as north London, it also operates in Manchester, Gateshead, Canvey Island in Essex, and Hertfordshire, working in conjunction with local emergency services for the wider community, regardless of faith.

More than £1.3m has been raised across multiple GoFundMe pages to help Hatzola.

Hatzola chairman Shloimie Richman said money which had been fundraised for the service since the arson attack would be put towards a new and secure headquarters.

After the four replacement ambulances were delivered, Richman read out a statement saying that Monday was the "darkest day" in the charity's existence.

He said: "The irony is here that you have vehicles that are used for life-saving work and transfer to hospital, and those are being targeted in an arson attack.

"It just kind of makes you feel you know, what kind of world are we living in currently?"