Innocent British victims of Hamas attacks: Soldier, 20, is killed in blast while photographer hiding in bunker and festival security guard, 26, from London are both missing
- At least 600 people have been killed in Israel since Hamas launched its attack
- Follow the Israel Palestine conflict on MailOnline’s live blog
A 20-year-old British man, who was working as a soldier in Israel, is among the hundreds of innocent victims killed in a series of surprise attacks launched by the terrorist group Hamas yesterday.
Nathanel Young, from London, was serving in the 13th Battalion of the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) when he was killed yesterday, according to the IDF, with his heartbroken family paying tribute to their son who was ‘the life of the party’.
The death toll from the conflict is continuing to rise, with more than 700 people said to be killed in Israel, with a further 400 killed in Palestine. Meanwhile, more than 100 Israelis are being held captive, a senior Hamas official said this evening.
Thousands remain missing. British photographer Danny Darlington, who was visiting Israel from Berlin, is amongst those unaccounted for, with no one hearing from him since he went into hiding in a bunker in Nir Or, a kibbutz in Southern Israel, on Saturday.
Jake Marlowe, 26, from London, is also missing. He was working at the Supernova Festival, near the Gaza Strip, when Palestinian militants stormed onto the site at the crack of dawn, firing rockets and sending in terrorists armed with guns to attack.
This evening, Israeli rescue service Zaka tonight said at least 260 bodies have been recovered and removed from the festival site, with emergency workers branding the devastating scene a ‘massacre’.
An embassy source told MailOnline that they do not know whether Mr Marlowe is dead or has been captured.
Londoner Nathanel Young, 20, is more than 600 people who were killed in Israel yesterday, it has been confirmed
British photographer Danny Darlington, who was visiting Israel from Berlin, is amongst those unaccounted for
UK national Jake Marlowe, 26, is amongst those unaccounted for and no one has heard from him since Saturday morning
Earlier today, Mr Young’s heartbroken sister Gaby Sahleve confirmed the death on social media, writing: ‘We’re heartbroken to share that our little brother Nathanel Young was tragically killed on the Gaza Border yesterday.’
READ MORE: Rishi Sunak says Israel has an ‘absolute right to defend itself’ after Hamas militants launched attacks from the Gaza Strip
His was death later confirmed by the Israeli Embassy in London.
Mr Young’s brother, Eliot Young, said in a statement released to the BBC: ‘Nathanel was full of life and the life of the party. He loved his family and friends and was loved by everyone.
‘He loved music and was a talented DJ, DJing both on base and at Benji’s House, the lone-soldier house where he was living.’
Mr Young had been living in the Bayit Shel Benji lone-soldier house in Raanana, according to the Jewish News.
Mr Darlington and Mr Marlowe’s family have joined a heartbreaking roll call of people desperately trying to find their loved ones.
The photographer’s father David Darlington told the BBC that his son had been travelling with a German woman and that his half-sister had last spoken to him on Saturday morning.
He said: ‘The communications network is down and we haven’t spoken to him for 24 hours.’
Nathanel Young, from London, was serving in the 13th Battalion of the Israeli Defence Forces when he was killed yesterday
The 20-year-old (pictured) grew up in north London before moving to Israel after leaving school
Mr Young (pictured) had been living close to the city of Tel Aviv, which is 50 miles from the border with Gaza
In a moving tribute his family described Mr Young (centre right) as ‘the life of the party’ and a ‘talented DJ’
Mr Darlington, who is originally from the UK but now lives in Berlin, was travelling with German girlfriend Carolin Bohl,
According to the Associated Press Carolin’s brother-in-law Sam Pasquesi said no one had heard from the missing pair since they went into hiding in the bunker.
Their deaths come as hundreds remain missing in Israel following the surprise attack from the Palestinian militant group.
No one has heard from Mr Marlowe since Saturday morning, when he was working at the music rave near Kibbutz Re’im, close to the Gaza Strip.
His mother Lisa told the Jewish News: “He was doing security at this rave yesterday and called me at 4.30am to say all these rockets were flying over.
“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.”
The festival rave was one of the targets of Hamas’ surprise attacks, seeing partygoers being killed and kidnapped. Tonight, the Israeli rescue service Zaka tonight said at least 260 bodies have been recovered and removed from the festival site.
Jake Marlowe (pictured) was working as a security guard at a music festival that was attacked by Hamas militants
Jake’s partner, Shira, who asked not to be further identified, said she did not know he was missing until 6pm on Saturday evening
Jake grew up in Kenton, in North London, and moved to Israel two years ago
The Israeli Embassy in London said that Jake, who is Jewish and has lived in the Israeli city of Ma’alot for the past two years, is currently ‘missing near Gaza’ following the attack on the festival by Hamas militants on Saturday.
READ MORE: Met Police confirms increased patrols in London amid fears of antisemitic attacks on capital’s Jewish communities and huge protests following violence in Israel
Video footage from the festival shows the terrified youngsters, mostly in their 20s and 30s, fleeing on foot over the sand to their cars, screaming as shots are fired. Some are seen holding hands as they run away while others shout ‘go, go, go’.
Partygoers said they first realised something was wrong when a siren began blaring at dawn warning of rockets. Hamas terrorists then cut the electricity before firing rockets and blasting gunshots from jeeps they drove onto the site.
Yaniv, an emergency worker who was amongst those medics who raced to the scene told public broadcaster Kan News he saw ‘at least 200 bodies of Israelis in the area’.
He said: ‘There are at least 200 bodies of Israelis in the area I was in. It was a massacre.
‘I’ve never seen anything like it in my life. It was a planned ambush. As people came out of the emergency exits, squads of terrorists were waiting for them there and just started picking them off.’
One partygoer named Ortel said the rockets fired were quickly followed by gunshots being fired from jeeps full of gunmen.
She told the BBC: ‘They turned off the electricity and suddenly out of nowhere they [militants] come inside with gunfire, opening fire in every direction.
‘Fifty terrorists arrived in vans, dressed in military uniforms. They fired bursts, and we reached a point where everyone stopped their vehicles and started running.’
Horrifying videos shows some of those at the event being dragged off by Hamas, while others said they were forced to hide in trees.
An embassy source told MailOnline earlier today that they do not know whether he is dead or has been captured.
Jake’s best friend, Léa Sztemberg, exclusively told MailOnline that he left the UK two years ago for Israel over anxieties related to the rise of anti-Semitism.
An explosion in the city of Gaza following an Israeli airstrike on October 8 2023
Léa Sztemberg (pictured, left) exclusively told MailOnline that Jake left the UK two years ago for Israel over anxieties related to the rise of anti-Semitism
She said: ‘Just before he went to live in Israel, he was really worried about the UK situation with the rise of anti-Semitism.
‘He was thinking he should go to Israel because everything that was happening to him in the UK was a lot for him.’
Her partner, Daniel Aboudy, told Sky News that his yearning for more knowledge about his Jewish heritage started during the COVID-19 pandemic.
‘He felt it was duty to trace back to his roots, and find his home that he felt he truly belonged to in Israel.’
All three British men are said to be former pupils of the JFS Jewish School in north London.
Irish-Israeli citizen, Kim Damti, 22, is also thought to be amongst the missing following the militant’s surprise attack.
The Irish government said it is contact with the young woman’s family, whose mother is reportedly Irish, according to the Irish Times.
Irish premier Leo Varadkar confirmed they were aware of the case. He said: ‘We don’t have any definite detail beyond that, but certainly (we’re) aware of it and willing to offer any consular assistance we can to any Irish citizens or any dual Irish citizens that are caught up in these terrible attacks.’
Terrified partygoers were seen fleeing the festival on foot, running across the sand, trying to jump into cars as Hamas terrorists fired shots
Sitting on the back of a terrorist’s motorcycle, her outstretched arms pointing towards her helpless boyfriend, student Noa Argamani pleads for her life
Hamas fighters circumvented Israel’s border with the Gaza Strip by flying in via paraglider, according to the Israeli military (pictured: an alleged paraglider crossing into Israel)
Ireland’s deputy premier and foreign affairs minister Micheal Martin added: ‘We are aware of the case and the Department Foreign Affairs has been in touch… with the family. But we don’t intend to comment specifically on the case at this stage,’ the Tanaiste said.
‘Could I say that as more information is revealed, I think the full horror of the crimes that were committed yesterday by Hamas are laid bare – hundreds and hundreds of innocent people slaughtered in the most savage of ways.’
The death toll on both sides has passed 1,000 with thousands more injured.
At least 700 people have been killed in Israel according to local media reports while 413 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, including dozens of children, the Palestinian Health Ministry said in a statement on their official Facebook page.
Today, the Israeli government formally gave the green light for ‘significant military steps’ to retaliate against Hamas for its surprise attack.
The declaration came as military tried to crush Hamas terrorists in the southern towns and Israel intensified its bombardment of the Gaza Strip.
Fire and smoke rise following an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City on Sunday after the militant Hamas rulers of the Gaza Strip carried out an unprecedented, multi-front attack on Israel
Israeli soldiers are pictured at the southern Israeli town of Ofakim on Sunday
Hamas claimed to have fired 5,000 rockets into Israel from the occupied Gaza Strip, setting off air raid sirens in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem
Videos and photos shared online have showed the devastating scenes. Some footage showed women, children and the elderly being abducted by Hamas militants.
MailOnline has contacted the Israeli Embassy. A Foreign Office spokesperson said: ‘We don’t comment on individual consular cases. 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.
‘British nationals requiring consular assistance should call the following numbers: +972 (0)3 725 1222 or +972 (2) 5414100. If you experience technical difficulties with these or if you are in the UK, call +44 20 7008 5000.’
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