Nathanel Young, 20, from north London, was killed when hundreds of Hamas gunmen surged across the border from the Gaza Strip at dawn in an attack named Operation Al-Aqsa Storm, after the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem, which is considered one of Islam’s holiest places.
Mr. Young was one of at least 700 Israelis who were killed in the terrorist attack, which has been condemned by Mr. Sunak, U.S. President Joe Biden and dozens of world leaders.
At least 700 people have reportedly been killed in Israel, and more than 400 have been killed in Gaza over two days after Hamas launched its unprecedented attack.
An IDF commander, Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Conricus, said: “This could be a 9/11 and a Pearl Harbor wrapped into one. It is, by far, the worst day in Israeli history. Never before have so many Israelis been killed by one single thing let alone enemy activity on one day.”
Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has now launched Operation Swords of Iron and vowed to make Hamas and its allies pay a heavy price.
Mr. Young, a former pupil at the Jewish Free School in Harrow, was killed in the first wave of attacks and his family, in a Facebook post, said they were “heartbroken.”
‘Nathanel had Strong Jewish Pride’
His brother Eliot Young told Sky News: “Nathanel always had strong Jewish pride. From a young age, he has always wanted to play an important role in defending his country. It’s something he talked about a lot.”Two other British nationals—Jake Marlowe, 26, and Dan Darlington—are also missing. Mr. Marlowe was working as a security guard at a music festival near Kibbutz Re'im which was attacked by Hamas militants, some of whom flew in on paragliders.
At least 260 people are believed to have been killed at the festival site.
Mr. Darlington, a photographer, was visiting Israel from his home in Germany when he was caught up in the violence.
Sunak Says UK is one of Israel’s ‘Strongest Allies’
Speaking in Nottinghamshire on Monday morning, Mr. Sunak said: “We already have a very longstanding relationship with Israel; we’re one of their strongest allies. We’ve provided in the past the kinds of equipment that they’ve used to defend themselves over the past couple of days.”He said he had told Mr. Netanyahu Britain would continue to provide whatever “diplomatic, intelligence or security support” they needed.
Mr. Sunak said he would chair a Cobra meeting on Monday afternoon to understand the implications of the attack, which has caught Israeli and Western intelligence completely off guard.
Mr. Sunak said: “With regard to Iran, I’m not going to speculate on the origins of all of this. There will be time for that in due course.
“I have said previously that Iran and its actions pose a real threat to the security and safety of all of you, the British people, and that’s why we’ve already taken quite strong action against the Iranian regime, not least sanctioning over 300 people, including the [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps] in its entirety.”
At the Labour Party conference in Liverpool, the shadow foreign secretary David Lammy said: “Labour utterly condemns Hamas’s appalling attack on Israel. There is never a justification for terrorism. Labour stands firmly in support of Israel’s right to defend itself, rescue hostages and protect its citizens.”
He said, “The hostages so cruelly taken, including children, should be released immediately and Hamas’s indiscriminate attacks set back the cause of peace, both Israelis and Palestinians paying a terrible price.”
Foreign Office Advises Against Travel to Israel and Gaza
The Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office has advised Britons, “against all but essential travel to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.”They are also advising against travelling to Gaza, southwest Israel and the Sheba’a Farms area near the Lebanese and Syrian border.
The Metropolitan Police said there had been, “a small number of low-level public order incidents in different parts of London” linked to the conflict in Israel.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Andy Valentine said: “We are listening and working with communities and partners to ensure people feel safe and protected. We ask that members of the public report anything concerning, such as threatening behaviour.”
He said he was aware of demonstrations planned for Monday and warned the organisers, “We will take a zero tolerance approach to any activity which crosses the lines into criminality.”
