Children among 17 Britons feared dead or missing after Hamas attack in Israel, UK official reveals
- The weekend attack by Hamas terrorists had left 17 Britons dead or missing
Up to 17 British citizens including several children are missing and may have been killed in Israel amid Hamas’ surprise attack over the weekend, an unnamed government official has revealed.
The shocking revelation made to the BBC comes after Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said on Tuesday that a ‘significant number’ of British-Israeli dual nationals had been caught up in the fighting.
Two British men were previously confirmed to be among the hundreds of civilians slaughtered by Hamas terrorists, one of which – 20-year-old Nathanel Young – was serving in the Israeli army.
And British-born woman Savion Kiper, 30, was also confirmed dead after the Palestinian militant group opened fire on crowds in the Negev desert on Saturday. Her fiancé, Dor Shafir, is still missing.
Among the Britons killed by the terrorists is also Glaswegian Bernard Cowen, 57, who lived in Israel with his wife and two children. He was identified on Sunday by family members as having been ‘murdered in cold blood in his home’ by Hamas terrorists.
Though more than 1,000 Israelis were killed or taken hostage, a variety of foreign nationals were caught up in the savage attacks.
Corporal Nathanel Young, 20, from London, was a soldier in the 13th Battalion who lived in Tel Aviv and was killed by Hamas
Miryam Shafir, 55, with her son, Dor Shafir, and his fiancée, Savion Hen Kiper (centre, who has been confirmed dead), at a bowling alley
Glasgow man Bernard Cohen (aka Cowan) killed on Saturday in Israel by Hamas
Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said on Tuesday that a ‘significant number’ of British-Israeli dual nationals had been caught up in the fighting
Many of the missing foreigners were at an electronic music festival in the southern Israeli desert, at which scores of revellers were killed.
Briton Jake Marlowe, 26, was amongst the 260 civilians massacred at the Nova festival. Marlowe, who went to the same London school as Young, left desperate messages to friends while providing security at the festival close to the Gaza border.
His mother told the Jewish News on Sunday that the last message she got from her son was one saying he loved her.
She said: ‘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.’
Marlowe’s devastated family said they have not heard from him since Saturday morning.
He had moved to Israel two years ago and lived in the city Ma’alot, which is in northern Israel.
He is believed to have been working as a security guard at a music festival in Kibbutz Re’im, a suburb in the city of Okafim, about three miles from the Gaza border.
Another British victim, photographer Dan Darlington, is also believed to be dead after a relative of his German girlfriend Carolin Bohl – also missing – received information from a man working in kibbutz that the bodies of the pair had been identified.
The couple were last heard from while hiding out in a bunker in Nir Or, a kibbutz in Southern Israel, according to Carolin Bohl’s brother-in law Sam Pasquesi.
Heartbreaking photographs on Instagram show the couple laughing together shortly before they vanished during the deadly attack on Israel.
The first British victim to be identified was 20-year-old Corporal Nathanel Young, of London, who was killed on Saturday while serving in the 13th battalion of the Israeli Defence Forces.
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.
Mr Young’s family said in a statement that he was ‘full of life and the life of the party’.
They added: ‘He loved his family and friends and was loved by everyone. He loved music and was a talented DJ.
‘Always willing to go to any lengths for his loved ones – an amazing uncle and brother. He was so happy and thriving in Israel. He loved the country.’
Eliot Young, his brother, told Sky News: ‘Nathanel always had strong Jewish pride. From a young age he always wanted to play an important role in defending his country – it’s something he talked about a lot.’
Jack Marlowe was last seen attempting to rescue revellers from the killers. He remained missing last night
Mr Marlowe, who went to the same London school as Mr Young, left desperate messages to friends while providing security at the Supernova music festival
26-year-old Jake Marlowe is among those missing after he had been working as a security guard at a music festival that was targeted by Hamas terrorists
Photographer Dan Darlington (left) is also believed to be dead by family and friends after the family of his German girlfriend – also missing – received information from a man working in kibbutz that the bodies of the pair had been identified
Thailand has suffered one of the biggest losses, with 20 citizens confirmed killed, 13 wounded and 14 estimated to have been abducted, the foreign ministry said on Wednesday.
There are approximately 30,000 Thais in Israel, most of whom work in the agricultural sector, according to government figures.
More than 5,000 have asked to be repatriated, according to the foreign ministry.
United States President Joe Biden said at the White House there were ‘at least 14 American citizens killed’ and ‘we now know that American citizens are among those being held by Hamas.’
Ten citizens of Nepal were killed in Kibbutz Alumim, one of the flashpoints of the Hamas assault, the Himalayan republic’s embassy in Tel Aviv said on Sunday.
Four others were being treated in hospital while a search was under way for a fifth person, the embassy added.
Kibbutz Alumim was hosting 17 students at the time of the attack.
Eight French nationals have been killed, the French government said on Tuesday, warning the death toll was likely to rise.
Twenty people remained missing and some of them had in all likelihood been abducted, it said.
Argentina’s foreign ministry on Monday confirmed that seven of the country’s nationals were killed and 15 others were missing.
At least four Russian-Israelis have been killed, the Russian embassy in Tel Aviv said.
It stated that it had no information about any hostages, but that six Russian nationals were missing.
Three Israelis of Chilean origin are dead, with one missing.
Germany, Ireland, Ukraine, Canada, Cambodia, Mexico, Colombia, Austria, Italy, Paraguay, Sri Lanka and Tanzania have also announced citizens dead or missing.
Several dual German-Israeli nationals were kidnapped at the Nova festival on Saturday, a German foreign ministry source said Sunday.
The mother of 22-year-old Shani Louk – a tattoo artist whose disappearance garnered significant media exposure, told news outlet Der Spiegel that she recognised her daughter in videos circulating online that show a woman in the back of a pick-up truck in Gaza filled with armed men.
Ricarda Louk told Spiegel that her daughter had been at a music festival near Gaza.
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