The Metropolitan Police said the three men had been charged with arson because they were “careless in causing danger to life”.
Published on April 4, 2026
Two British nationals and one British-Pakistani national have been remanded in custody after appearing in court on arson charges four ambulances owned by a Jewish charity in London which were set on fire.
Four ambulances belonging to the volunteer organization Hatzola were destroyed in the attack on March 23 in Golders Green, a north London district with a large Jewish community.
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Two of the suspects were identified by police on Saturday as British nationals: Hamza Iqbal, 20, and Rehan Khan, 19. The third suspect, a 17-year-old dual British-Pakistani citizen, cannot be named for legal reasons.
The three suspects, who were arrested at various locations in east London on Wednesday, were charged with arson and “recklessness endangering life,” according to a statement from the Metropolitan Police.
The suspects did not enter a plea in their 45-minute appearance at Westminster Magistrates Court.
The court heard that British police also arrested a fourth person in connection with the arson attack.
“Deeply shocking”
The ambulances that were set on fire were operated by Hatzola, a volunteer organization that provides free medical transport and emergency assistance primarily to the Orthodox Jewish community.
According to the London Fire Brigade, the explosions from the vehicles’ cylinders shattered nearby windows, but no one was injured.
Since the fire, police have vowed to increase security at Jewish community sites across the capital.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the incident as a “deeply shocking anti-Semitic arson attack.”
Police said they viewed the incident as an anti-Semitic hate crime. The incident has not yet been classified as a “terror offense”, but the investigation is being led by counter-terrorism officers.
The three defendants are due to appear at London’s Central Criminal Court, better known as the Old Bailey, on April 24.
The Iran-aligned group Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya (HAYI) claimed responsibility for the attack. The organization has also claimed responsibility for similar attacks in Belgium and the Netherlands.
