AdvertisementAdvertisementFirefighters respond to a fire in Golders Green, London, on Mar 23, 2026, after four vehicles belonging to a Jewish ambulance service were set ablaze. (Photo: AP/Alberto Pezzali)23 Mar 2026 02:15PM Bookmark Bookmark WhatsApp Telegram Facebook Twitter Email LinkedInAdd CNA as a trusted source to help Google better understand and surface our content in search results.Read a summary of this article on FAST.Get bite-sized news via a newcards interface. Give it a try.Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FASTFAST LONDON: London's police said they are investigating an "arson attack" as an antisemitic hate crime after volunteer ambulances run by a Jewish organisation were set on fire on Monday (Mar 23).The London Fire Brigade said it was alerted to vehicles on fire at Highfield Court in Golders Green at 1.40am.Firefighters called to the scene found that multiple cylinders on the vehicles had exploded, breaking windows in an adjacent block.London's Metropolitan Police said the burnt vehicles were four Hatzalah ambulances belonging to the Jewish Community Ambulance service."Officers remain on scene and the arson attack is being treated as an antisemitic hate crime," police said in a statement.No injuries have been reported and all the fires have been put out, police added.Mark Reisner, an eyewitness who lives in the neighbourhood, heard loud explosions and arrived at the scene “just as the third ambulance was blowing up”, he told Sky News.“A very loud explosion, you sort of felt it go through your guts,” he said, adding that “it's just left us all reeling with confusion and shock".The number of antisemitic incidents reported across the UK has soared since the start of the Israel-Hamas War in late 2023, according to the Community Security Trust, which works to protect the Jewish community. The group recorded 3,700 in 2025, up from 1,662 in 2022.Israel says antisemitism raging in Netherlands after Jewish school blast"We know this incident will cause a great deal of community concern and officers remain on scene to carry out urgent enquiries," superintendent Sarah Jackson said."We are in the process of examining CCTV and are aware of online footage. We believe we are looking for three suspects at this early stage," she said, adding that no arrest has been made.Nearby houses were evacuated as a precaution and road closures remained in place.London Fire Brigade said the cause of the fire is under investigation.In October 2025, an attacker drove his car into people gathered outside a Manchester synagogue to celebrate the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur and stabbed one person to death. Another person died during the attack after being inadvertently shot by police.Source: Agencies/rlSign up for our newslettersGet our pick of top stories and thought-provoking articles in your inboxSubscribe hereGet the CNA appStay updated with notifications for breaking news and our best storiesDownload hereGet WhatsApp alertsJoin our channel for the top reads for the day on your preferred chat appJoin hereAlso worth readingContent is loading...Expand to read the full storyGet bite-sized news via a newcards interface. Give it a try.Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FASTFAST