Three charged over Jewish charity ambulance fires

The Metropolitan Police has announced that three individuals were arrested following the deliberate burning of four ambulances operated by a Jewish charity in north London last month.

The ambulances, managed by the Hatzola group, were torched in the parking area of a synagogue located in Golders Green on the early morning of March 23.

Hamza Iqbal, 20, and Rehan Khan, 19, both from Leyton, along with a 17-year-old boy with dual British-Pakistani citizenship, face charges of arson with the intent to destroy property and reckless endangerment.

The trio were apprehended on Wednesday at three distinct locations in east London as part of an inquiry into the suspected incident, according to a Metropolitan Police statement.

Iqbal and Khan, both hailing from Leyton, and the 17-year-old from Walthamstow, whose identity remains confidential due to legal protections, are scheduled to appear in Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Saturday.

Cdr Helen Flanagan, director of Counter Terrorism Policing London, stated: “Our team has been relentlessly pursuing leads to determine the culprits behind this disturbing event since it occurred last week.” She highlighted that the community’s response following the incident was ‘remarkable.’

Hatzola, a Jewish-led volunteer organization, provides medical aid without discrimination based on religious affiliation. In response to the attack, police have increased patrols in Jewish-majority neighborhoods.

Counter-terrorism units are spearheading the probe, though the Metropolitan Police emphasized that the incident has not yet been classified as a terrorist act.