Four men plead guilty to London arson attack that destroyed Jewish charity ambulances

WorldPolitics
28 Aug 2026 • 11:27 PM MYT
Euronews
Euronews

Trusted news from Europe’s newsroom

Four men plead guilty to London arson attack that destroyed Jewish charity ambulances

Four men admitted on Friday being behind an arson attack on London ambulances owned by a Jewish charity at a UK court hearing.

British nationals Hamza Iqbal, 20, Rehan Khan, 19, Judex Atshatshi, 18, and British-Pakistani Saif Ali, 18, all pleaded guilty to criminal damage linked to the 23 March attack.

Four ambulances run by the Hatzola charity were destroyed in the London neighbourhood of Golders Green that is home to a significant Jewish population, one of a spate of attacks in the British capital targeting Jewish or Israel-linked locations.

Three of the men set fire to the ambulances, while the fourth waited in a getaway car.

The vehicles were parked near a synagogue, and the damage was valued at £1 million (€1.1 million).

View of burnt ambulances in a car park at Golders Green in London, 23 March, 2026
View of burnt ambulances in a car park at Golders Green in London, 23 March, 2026 AP Photo

Iqbal, Khan and Atshatshi entered their pleas by video link, while Ali, wearing a white shirt, was present in the dock at London's Old Bailey central criminal court.

At a previous hearing, prosecution lawyer Emma Harraway told the court there was strong evidence this was "a premeditated and targeted attack against the Jewish community."

Several antisemitic attacks in London this year targeted synagogues and other Jewish sites.

An Iran-linked group known as Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiyah (HAYI) had previously claimed multiple attacks, including the destruction of the ambulances.

The UK government has announced plans to ban HAYI, also known as the Islamic Movement of Companions of the Right, as a national security threat.

General view of the outside of the Central Criminal Court, commonly known as the Old Bailey, in London, 22 October, 2021
General view of the outside of the Central Criminal Court, commonly known as the Old Bailey, in London, 22 October, 2021 AP Photo

Defence lawyers denied the four defendants had any "terrorism" connections to groups proscribed in the UK.

The men were remanded in custody and are expected to be sentenced in spring 2027.

A fifth defendant, Subhan Ahmed, 18, pleaded not guilty to assisting an offender and is due to go on trial at the Old Bailey in January.

Newswav Malaysia Best News App

Newswav is an online content aggregator and obtains its content from different online sources. The content in the app do not belong to Newswav nor do they reflect the opinions of Newswav and its staff. Your use of this app indicates your understanding and acceptance of this information.

Newswav Sdn. Bhd. (201701008480 (1222645-M)) 2026 All Rights Reserved