Emergency services in north London responded early Monday after explosions damaged four ambulances belonging to a Jewish community service, leaving residents shaken but uninjured. The incident occurred in Golders Green, a neighbourhood with a large Jewish population, at about 1:45 a.m. local time.
The London Fire Brigade said cylinders on the vehicles detonated and shattered windows in a nearby residential building; there were no reported injuries. Shomrim, the local neighbourhood watch, said the blasts were caused by oxygen tanks and not by an explosive device.
The Metropolitan Police confirmed they are treating the case as an antisemitic hate crime. Superintendent Sarah Jackson said officers are carrying out urgent inquiries, reviewing CCTV and online footage, and believe they are looking for three suspects. No arrests have been made. She said the force would increase patrols, engage with faith leaders, and urged anyone with information to come forward, including via anonymous reporting.
Nearby homes were evacuated as a precaution and road closures remained in place while investigators worked at the scene. The ambulances are operated by Hatzola, a volunteer service that provides free emergency medical care in Jewish communities.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the attack as “deeply shocking” and said his thoughts were with the local Jewish community, adding that antisemitism has no place in British society.
The incident comes amid a marked rise in antisemitic incidents across the UK since the Gaza war began in late 2023. The Community Security Trust recorded 3,700 incidents in 2025, up from 1,662 in 2022. Last October, a separate attack outside a Manchester synagogue on Yom Kippur involved a vehicle being driven into people and a fatal stabbing; a person later died after being accidentally shot by police during that incident.
Police continue their investigation and have asked anyone with relevant information to contact them as they seek to identify those responsible.