20-year-old British soldier serving in Israeli army killed in Hamas attack
According to his relatives, a 20-year-old Britishborn soldier fighting in the Israeli army was slain in an attack by Hamas terrorists.
Nathanel Young, a member of the Israeli Defence Forces, was murdered on the Gaza border on Saturday.
Jake Marlow, 26, who went to the same London school as Mr Young, went missing while providing security at a music event near Kibbutz Re’im, close to the Gaza border.
Mr Young’s brother, Eliot Young, described him as “full of life and the life of the party” in a statement to the BBC. “He loved his family and friends and was loved by everyone,” he went on to say. “He loved music and was a talented DJ” .
According to the Jewish News, the former student at JFS Jewish school in Kenton, north London, had been residing at the Bayit Shel Benji lone-soldier residence in Raanana.
The Foreign Office has been contacted to confirm his death.
The Israeli Embassy in London acknowledged that Mr Marlowe, who was born in London and relocated to Israel two years ago, was missing but that he had not been abducted.
According to Israeli media, at least 600 people were murdered in the assaults, including 26 troops, forcing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to declare the country was at “war” and order a military response.
“He is missing,” a spokeswoman told the PA news agency. “We don’t know for sure whether he is being held hostage, dead, or in a hospital.”
Mr Marlowe has been missing since early Saturday morning, when he was providing security for a music event in the desert at Kibbutz Re’im, close to the Gaza border.
“He was doing security at this rave yesterday and called me at 4.30am to say all these rockets were flying over,” Mr Marlowe’s mother Lisa told the Jewish News.
“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.”
Tzipi Hotovely, Israel’s ambassador to the United Kingdom, said that a British person “is in Gaza” following Hamas kidnappings, but did not specify if they were being kept captive.
“I know there is one British citizen who is currently in Gaza,” she said on Sky News’ Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips.
“The Israeli government is doing everything we can to help those who are held hostage and every citizen who is taken is returned.”
Foreign Affairs Committee Chairwoman Alicia Kearns stated that the Government’s top concern would be to ensure the safety of the missing British individual and other British people in Israel.
“What we did see yesterday was British families having to hide in safe rooms, some with babies as young as 10 days old, and so many international victims being taken hostage,” she told Sky News.
“Obviously, that will be a priority for the British Government; I would expect ministers to be in today working out exactly how we can get that individual to safety in collaboration with our allies.”
“It’s crucial we do not give the terrorists what they want but, at the same time, first and foremost the duty of the British Government is to keep British nationals safe.”
Ms Kearns blamed Iran for the assault and called for the abolition of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which she characterized as the country’s “international terror tool.”
The UK, according to Transport Secretary Mark Harper, would back Israel in whatever way it deems appropriate to protect itself against Hamas assaults.
“We support their right to self-defense and will support them in whatever they decide to do to defend their country against terrorist attacks,” he told the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg.
READ:Israeli civilians feared dead and thousands more injured in Hamas attack
A Foreign Office spokesperson said they would not comment on particular situations, but added, “However, we can confirm we are in contact with – and assisting – the families of several individuals in Israel and the OPTs.”
“The safety of all British nationals continues to be our utmost priority and we urge everyone to continue to follow our travel advice which is updated regularly.”