A 20-year-old British man serving in the Israeli army has been killed in an attack by Hamas militants, his family have said.
Nathanel Young was serving with the Israeli Defence Forces when he was killed on the Gaza border on Saturday, after Hamas launched an unprecedented attack – firing thousands of rockets into Israel and storming across the heavily-fortified border.
Hundreds of Israelis have been killed and scores taken hostage, as gunfights continued for a second day to clear Hamas fighters from numerous settlements in Israel close to the border with Gaza.
Nathanel Young had gone to school in north London and was serving in the Israeli army
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Gaby Shalev, from London, posted on Facebook: “We’re heartbroken to share that our little brother Nathanel Young was tragically killed on the Gaza Border yesterday.”
The former pupil at JFS Jewish school in Kenton, north London, had been living in the Bayit Shel Benji lone-soldier house in Raanana, according to the Jewish News.
It comes after the Israeli embassy to the UK said another British citizen, 26-year-old Jake Marlowe – who reportedly attended the same school as Young – was among the missing after Hamas attacked a dance music festival taking place close to the border as it launched its incursion.
“We don’t know yet if taken hostage or killed,” the embassy told The Independent.
His mother, Lisa, said her son had been providing security at the rave in the desert near Kibbutz Re’im when the surprise attack unfolded and had called her at 4:30am “to say all these rockets were flying over”.
Nathanel Young was killed on the Gaza border, his family said
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“Then, at about 5.30am, he texted to say, ‘signal very bad, everything OK, will keep you updated I promise you,’ and that he loves me,” Ms Marlowe told Jewish News.
Ms Marlowe said her son had not been online for hours, adding: “I’ve left him lots of WhatsApp messages but I’ve not been able to leave him a [voice] message… I can’t bear to listen to the phone just ringing and not being answered.”
In a desperate voice message, sent as gunmen stormed the festival – a transcript of which was shared with The Independent – Mr Marlowe can be heard saying: “We are seeing it in front of our eyes, we are rounding up the people from the party now, we are on an ATV [quad bike] and we are telling everyone to get the f*** outta there.”
Revellers fled the festival in their thousands as gunmen opened fire
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He is among dozens of festival attendees who are missing, kidnapped or presumed dead, multiple witnesses and family members told The Independent.
Cabinet minister Mark Harper told Sky News the UK was “working very closely and have been in contact with the Israeli government about any British citizens” in the region, but said he had no “specific information” on the reports that Mr Marlowe is missing.
Terrified Israeli residents living near the Gaza border hid in their homes and barricaded themselves in safe rooms on Saturday, as civilians and soldiers alike were shot by Hamas in the streets outside, with others seized and taken to Gaza to be held as hostages.
At least 600 people have been killed in Israel and 100 taken hostage, authorities have said, while Palestine’s health ministry has reported at least 370 fatalities as Israel launches relentless retaliatory strikes on Gaza.
