At least two Britons have been killed after Hamas fighters attacked Israel, with another feared dead and more missing.
Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said “significant numbers” of British-Israeli dual nationals have been caught up in the conflict, although he said he is “uncomfortable” giving exact numbers in a fast-moving situation.
One Briton, Nathanel Young was serving in the Israeli army when he was killed in the surprise attack by Hamas, which began on Saturday.
The 20-year-old 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.
Nathanel was full of life and the life of the party. He loved his family and friends and was loved by everyone— Eliot Young, brother of Hamas attack victim Nathanel Young
His 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.”
Jack Marlowe, 26, who went to the same London school as Mr Young, is believed to be missing, while photographer Dan Darlington is feared to be dead.
A post on social media from Mr Darlington’s sister Shelley said he had been “murdered” at Nir Oz, a kibbutz in southern Israel. However, his death has not been officially confirmed.
Bernard Cowan, who grew up around Glasgow, also died in the attack on southern Israel.
Mr Cowan’s family told the BBC: “We are grieving the loss of our son and brother, Bernard Cowan, who was horrifically murdered on Saturday during the surprise terrorist attack on Israel by Hamas.
“We ask for privacy at this time while we process this huge loss to our family, both at home and in Israel, and to the Jewish community in Glasgow where he will be sorely missed.”
Mr Marlowe was reported missing while providing security at a music festival near Kibbutz Re’im, close to the Gaza border.
His mother Lisa told the Jewish News on Sunday that the last message she had from her son was one saying he loved her.
“He was doing security at this rave yesterday and called me at 4.30am to say all these rockets were flying over,” she said.
“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.”
Dor Shafir, 30, whose mother was born in Britain, remains missing after attending the music festival
His family told GMB News’ Richard Gaisford on Tuesday that his fiancee Savion had been found dead but there is still no sign of their son.
His cousin, Rob Simmons, told the show: “For my cousin Dor, and many others, there are, unfortunately, three options.
“Either they are in hiding in the area where they ran to safety, or they were part of the massacre that Hamas carried out, which the Israeli army cannot get to all of the fields in the areas just now.
“Or they have been taken by Hamas into Gaza.”
