Armed police patrol near the Israeli embassy as counter terrorism police investigate discarded items found in Kensington Gardens in London, Britain, on Friday. Photo by Tolga Akmen/EPA
London police closed down Kensington Gardens Friday after a video was shared online by a group making a threat against the Embassy of Israel.
In the video shared overnight, Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia, a group with ties to Iran, said it was going to attack the embassy with drones carrying dangerous substances. London Metropolitan Police closed off the Kensington Gardens area across from the embassy and are investigating “a number of discarded items.”
“While we can confirm that the embassy has not been attacked, we are carrying out urgent enquiries to determine the authenticity of the video and to identify any potential link between it and the items discarded in Kensington Gardens,” the Met said in a statement. “We will provide further updates when we are able to.”
London Fire Brigade and the London Ambulance Service’s hazardous area response team were also on the scene earlier in the day.
The police said there is not believed to be any increased risk to public safety but people are urged to avoid the area.
“We wish to clarify that all embassy staff are safe and that the embassy was not attacked,” a spokesperson from the Embassy of Israel said in a statement.
Matt Jukes, deputy commissioner of the Met, said police are working with security teams in response to “speculation about an incident at the Israeli Embassy” on Wednesday.
“Separately we are aware of speculation about an incident at the Israeli Embassy in London yesterday,” he said. “There has been no incident at that location but we can confirm we have been liaising with security teams there in relation to their security.”
Historic April moments through the years
Children race to push colored eggs across the grass during the annual Easter Egg Roll event on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington on April 21, 2025. Easter this year takes place on April 5. Photo by Samuel Corum/UPI | License Photo
