4 men plead guilty to torching 4 London-based ambulances operated by Jewish charity
Four men have pleaded guilty to an arson attack on four Jewish charity ambulances in London, an incident linked to rising tensions following the start of the Iran war. A fifth defendant has pleaded not guilty to assisting an offender, with sentencing scheduled for 2027.
Why it matters
The incident underscores the impact of international geopolitical conflicts on domestic social cohesion and the rise of antisemitic hate crimes.
LONDON -- Four men pleaded guilty Friday to destroying four Jewish community ambulances in an arson attack in north London earlier this year that many said was a direct result of the start of the Iran war .
Sentencing will take place in the spring of 2027 at the conclusion of a separate trial involving another man charged in connection with the ambulance attack, Justice Bobbie Cheema-Grubb said at London’s Central Criminal Court.
Hamza Iqbal, 20, Rehan Khan, 19, Judex Atshatshi, and Saif Ali, both 18, faced a charge of destroying or damaging property and of being reckless as to whether life would be endangered.
The four ambulances torched in the early hours of March 23 were owned by Hatzola, a Jewish volunteer-led charity operating in the Golders Green area of north London. The ambulances each cost around 250,000 pounds ($340,000).
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in