Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on April 17, 2026
3 min readLast updated: April 17, 2026
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British police are investigating a security incident near London’s Israeli embassy after discarded items were found nearby. Counter Terrorism Policing London is probing a video in which a group claims to have targeted the embassy with drones carrying dangerous substances, though no attack occurred a
By Sam Tabahriti and Michael Holden
LONDON, April 17 (Reuters) - British police said on Friday they were investigating a security incident near the Israeli embassy in London after a group reported online that it had targeted the premises with drones.
Matt Jukes, the head of counter-terrorism at London police, said there were no signs the embassy had been attacked, but officers in protective clothing were assessing "discarded items" found near the building.
"Counter Terrorism policing London are aware of a video shared online overnight in which a group claim to have targeted the nearby embassy of Israel with drones carrying dangerous substances," Jukes said in a televised statement.
"And whilst we can confirm that the embassy has not been attacked, we're carrying out urgent inquiries to determine the authenticity of the video and to identify any potential link between it and the items discarded in Kensington Gardens."
Jukes said the police presence had been stepped up and cordons had been put in place, meaning there was no public access to Kensington Gardens and the surrounding area.
"We do not believe there to be any increased public safety risk at this time and we would urge people, nonetheless, to avoid the area while officers carry out their work," Jukes said.
The Israeli embassy did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
It was the latest in a number of incidents involving the embassy and Jewish sites in the British capital in recent weeks.
Last month, several ambulances belonging to the Jewish volunteer emergency service Hatzola were set alight while parked near a synagogue in the Golders Green area of north London.
Earlier this week, two suspects were arrested over an attempted arson attack on a synagogue in north London, although police said the incidents were not believed to be linked.
In March, two men were charged with being tasked by Iran to carry out hostile surveillance on the Israeli Embassy and other Jewish targets, while earlier this week a man from Kuwait went on trial accused of planning a terrorism attack on the embassy.
On Thursday, Jukes said he understood why conflict overseas and heightened tensions in Britain would be "deeply worrying".
"London’s Jewish communities and the Iranian diaspora in London have, in recent years, been increasingly targeted by individuals, groups and hostile states intent on spreading fear, hate and harm," he said.
(Reporting by Sarah Young and Sam Tabahriti; editing by William James and Andrew Heavens)
Police are investigating after discovering discarded items and reports of an alleged drone threat targeting the embassy.
No, police stated that the embassy had not been attacked but urgent inquiries are under way.
Police said they do not believe there to be any increased public safety risk at this stage.
The presence followed the discovery of discarded items and the circulation of a video claiming responsibility for a drone-related incident.
Counter Terrorism Policing London is leading the investigation into the potential security threat.
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