Four plead guilty to London arson attack on Jewish ambulances

Four men have pleaded guilty to setting fire to four Jewish community ambulances in an arson attack that caused £1 million in damage in north-west London. The incident occurred in Golders Green early on March 23. Hamza Iqbal, 20, Rehan Khan, 19, Judex Atshatshi, and Saif Ali, both 18, pleaded guilty to destroying or damaging property while being reckless as to whether life would be endangered.

Prosecutors alleged the attack was a targeted assault on the Jewish community. The court heard that three men set fire to the fully stocked ambulances, while the fourth waited in a nearby car. The flames triggered gas canisters to explode inside the vehicles, destroying them and damaging four electrical charging stations and cables, each valued at £5,000.

Prosecutors plan to argue that the men's actions were related to terrorism, but the judge will not rule on that at this stage. The four men were remanded in custody and will be sentenced after the trial of a fifth man, Subhan Ahmed, who denies assisting an offender. Hatzola, a non-profit Jewish-led organization, has been providing free emergency medical response and transportation to hospitals in Golders Green since 1979.