Judge sets trial date for suspects in Jewish charity ambulance arson attack in London

Published on 24/04/2026 - 18:15 GMT+2

Four men charged with an arson onslaught connected London ambulances owned by a Jewish foundation appeared successful a UK tribunal for the archetypal clip connected Friday, erstwhile the justice acceptable a proceedings date.

The 23 March onslaught successful Golders Green, northbound London, destroyed 4 vehicles parked adjacent a synagogue and has been followed by a spate of akin incidents, chiefly targeting venues successful the superior linked to Israel oregon Jewish people.

London constabulary person arrested 25 radical implicit the attacks and said they are investigating whether those progressive were paid proxies.

The young men who appeared successful cardinal London's Old Bailey tribunal person been charged implicit the onslaught connected the Jewish unpaid exigency work Hatzola.

The radical was established successful 1979 and is operated by volunteers. It provides escaped aesculapian proscription and exigency effect to those surviving successful northbound London.

Two of the men, 20-year-old Hamza Iqbal and 19-year-old Rehan Khan, some from Leyton, eastbound London, sat successful the dock successful grey tracksuits.

Judex Atshatshi, 18, from Dagenham, eastbound London, and a 17-year-old of dual British-Pakistani nationality from Walthamstow, northeast London, who cannot beryllium named owed to his age, appeared via video-link.

They confirmed their names and ages, portion Khan described conditions successful detention arsenic "hard" to the judge, Bobbie Cheema-Grubb.

She acceptable a day of 27 January 2027 for the trial, which is expected to past 4 weeks, and ordered the 4 stay successful custody.

The justice besides ruled each the defendants tin beryllium tried astatine the Old Bailey alternatively than the 17-year-old's proceedings being held astatine a younker court, noting respective factors including the tiny property difference.

Multiple state cylinders connected the vehicles exploded, causing windows to interruption successful an adjacent flat block.

Nearby homes were besides evacuated arsenic a precautionary measurement and nary injuries were reported.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the incidental arsenic a "deeply shocking antisemitic arson attack."

"My thoughts are with the Jewish assemblage who are waking up this greeting to this horrific news," helium wrote successful a station connected X.

The UK has accused Tehran of utilizing transgression proxies to behaviour attacks connected European ungraded targeting absorption media outlets and the Jewish community.

Britain's MI5 home quality work says much than 20 "potentially lethal" Iran-backed plots were disrupted successful the twelvemonth up to past October.

Additional sources • AP, AFP