Four Men Plead Guilty to Burning London Hatzola Ambulances

Four men have pleaded guilty to setting fire to four ambulances belonging to the Jewish emergency service Hatzola in London earlier this year.

Hamza Iqbal, 20, Rehan Khan, 19, Judex Atshatshi, 18, and Saif Ali, 18, entered their pleas on Friday at London’s Old Bailey. They admitted to destroying or damaging property while recklessly endangering lives.

The attack took place on March 23 outside a synagogue in Golders Green, one of London’s largest Jewish communities. The fire destroyed four fully equipped Hatzola ambulances and caused approximately £1 million in damage.

Gas canisters inside the vehicles exploded during the blaze, damaging nearby apartments and the synagogue. No one was reported injured.

Hatzola is a volunteer emergency medical service that works alongside Britain’s National Health Service and primarily serves Jewish communities.

British authorities have investigated the attack as part of a wider series of incidents targeting Jewish and other sites in London during the war with Iran.

A pro-Iranian group called Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiyya claimed responsibility for the ambulance attack and several other incidents. However, prosecutors have not established a direct link between the four defendants and Iran or an Iranian-backed organization. They have said there may be a terrorist connection to the case and cited evidence indicating that the attack was planned in advance.

Investigators found internet searches on Iqbal’s phone connected to the attack, while authorities say Ali helped organize the vehicle used by the group.

All four men remain in custody. The court is expected to sentence them next year.

A fifth defendant, 18-year-old Subhan Ahmed, denied a charge of assisting an offender. Authorities expect his trial to begin in January.