The Metropolitan Police confirmed the incident is being treated as an anti-Semitic hate crime. Photo / Getty Images
Two men arrested over an anti-Semitic firebomb attack in north London are British nationals, police have confirmed.
Four ambulances owned by a Jewish charity were set on fire outside a synagogue in Golders Green earlier this week.
British counter-terror police are leading an investigation into the arson amid fears it may have been orchestrated by Iran.
The two men, aged 45 and 47, were detained at addresses in northwest and central London on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life. They remain in police custody.
Police are still searching for a third suspect, the head of the policing unit leading the investigation has confirmed.
Three hooded figures were caught on CCTV approaching the ambulances on Highfield Rd in the early hours of the morning. They poured accelerant into the vehicles before igniting them and fleeing on foot.
Multiple oxygen cylinders exploded inside the ambulances, smashing the synagogue’s windows and causing the road to be evacuated. The fire was brought under control and no one was injured.
Helen Flanagan, the head of Counter-Terrorism Policing London, said: “We have been working around the clock since this appalling attack took place and this has led to these arrests being made this morning.
“This appears to be an important breakthrough in the investigation, but we’re also mindful that CCTV footage of the incident suggests there were at least three people involved.
“We fully recognise the local community will still be concerned and our investigation very much remains active and we will continue to work to identify and seek to arrest all of those who may have been involved.”
Detective Chief Superintendent Luke Williams, of the Metropolitan Police, added that “an enhanced, bespoke policing plan” remained in place, with specialist officers having been deployed to “help protect certain locations”.
The two suspects were arrested on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life rather than an offence under the National Security Act, which might cover alleged state-backed plots.
Detectives will have 24 hours to question the suspects but can apply for an extension to 96 hours if required.
Israeli embassy sources told The Daily Telegraph that the firebombing had the hallmarks of an Iran-backed attack. Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiyya, a new Islamist militant group linked to Iran, appeared to claim responsibility for the arson in an online video.
The group, whose Telegram account was only created last weekend, claimed it is responsible for attacks across Europe in the past 10 days, including explosions outside Jewish sites in Belgium and the Netherlands.
An internal report by the Israeli Government, seen by the Telegraph, said the group probably hired local criminals online to carry out the attacks.
Williams said: “We are aware of an online claim from a group taking responsibility for this attack. Establishing the authenticity and accuracy of this claim will be a priority for the investigation team, but it is not something we can confirm at this point.”
The ambulances were owned by Hatzola Northwest, a Jewish charity that provides free emergency medical care and hospital transfers. It has operated in Golders Green, home to one of Britain’s largest Jewish communities, since 1979.
Shabana Mahmood, the Home Secretary, warned that the “abhorrent crime” showed anti-Semitism was on the rise in Britain.
“History has repeatedly screamed its warning at us. And yet here we are again, in 2026, with the oldest hatred rising once more,” she told an event at the Community Security Trust, a charity that protects Jewish people.
“Today, Jews in this country are being forced to live a smaller life: they are hiding the signs of their faith. They are fearful as they send their children to school. Even when they attend a hospital appointment.
“It is the work of this generation to ensure that the next succeeds where we have failed and eradicates the oldest evil. Doing so requires that we admit to the scale of anti-Semitism.”
Sir Mark Rowley, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, said the force would ramp up security for Jewish communities, including deploying undercover specialists to disrupt terrorist or drone attacks.
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