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Four men pleaded guilty on Friday to an antisemitic arson attack that destroyed four ambulances operated by the Jewish emergency medical charity Hatzola in London’s Golders Green neighborhood on March 23.
Hamza Iqbal, 20, Rehan Khan, 19, Judex Atshatshi, 18, and Saif Ali, 18, admitted criminal damage in the incident. Three appeared remotely at London’s Old Bailey, while Ali attended court in person.
Three members of the group ignited the ambulances, while the fourth remained in a vehicle nearby. The attack caused an estimated £1 million ($1.4 million) in damage.
At an earlier court hearing, prosecutor Emma Harraway described the arson as “a premeditated and targeted attack against the Jewish community.” Lawyers representing the defendants have rejected allegations of connections to organizations banned under UK terrorism laws.
The four will remain in custody ahead of sentencing, which is expected in spring 2027. Subhan Ahmed, 18, a fifth defendant in the case, denied a charge of assisting an offender. His trial is scheduled for January.
Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiyah (HAYI), also known as the Islamic Movement of Companions of the Right, claimed responsibility for the Hatzola arson and other attacks. The British government has announced its intention to outlaw the Iran-linked organization on national security grounds.
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