A British citizen is lacking after Hamas attacked a music competition in Israel, the nation’s embassy within the UK has advised Sky News.
Jake Marlowe, 26, has not been heard from since Saturday morning, the embassy mentioned.
It added that he’s “missing near Gaza” after the assault on the competition in southern Israel.
Women and youngsters amongst dozens of hostages being held by Hamas, says Israel – observe stay
His mom, Lisa, advised the Jewish News that her son was working as a part of the safety group on the dance music competition close to Re’im – a village near the border with Gaza.
“He was doing security at this rave and called me at 4.30am to say all these rockets were flying over,” she mentioned.
“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.”
She mentioned her son lived within the metropolis Ma’alot, in north Israel, having moved to Israel completely two years in the past.
‘Suddenly, they began taking pictures’
Other witnesses on the competition advised Israeli media how the music was interrupted by the sound of air raid sirens, earlier than Hamas militants opened fireplace.
“The music stopped and there was a rocket siren,” a girl advised Israel’s N12 News.
“Suddenly, out of nowhere, they started shooting.”
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Another occasion goer, Esther Borochov, mentioned a automobile had rammed her automobile as she tried to flee.
She mentioned she performed lifeless till the arrival of Israeli troopers.
“I couldn’t move my legs,” she advised the information company Reuters.
“Soldiers came and took us away to the bushes.”
Hamas assault a ‘nightmare’
Tzipi Hotovely, the Israeli ambassador to the UK, earlier advised Sky News’ Trevor Phillips On Sunday programme {that a} British citizen is in Gaza – however it’s now understood this isn’t confirmed.
“I know that Israel is doing everything to make sure all the people being kept hostage at the moment in the hands of Hamas will be released,” she added.
Ms Hotovely mentioned Israel woke as much as a “nightmare” after Hamas launched its shock assault on Saturday.
She mentioned 300 Israelis had been “brutally, barbarically murdered in cold blood” by individuals who deliberate in essentially the most “calculated way” to invade.
Children had been taken from their properties to Gaza, whereas folks with dementia had been “taken hostage”, she added.
Some 350 Israelis have been killed, in response to Israeli media, within the deadliest assault on the nation in many years, whereas the well being ministry mentioned a minimum of 1,590 folks had been injured.
An Israeli navy official mentioned “hundreds” of Hamas militants have been killed and dozens captured.
Meanwhile, the Palestinian well being ministry mentioned on Sunday morning that a minimum of 313 folks had died, together with 20 youngsters, and practically had been 2,000 wounded in Israel’s retaliatory airstrikes on Gaza, with seven folks, together with a baby, killed by Israeli military fireplace within the West Bank.
The Israeli embassy to the United States mentioned girls and youngsters had been amongst greater than 100 troopers and civilians kidnapped by Hamas fighters and that lively hostage conditions are “ongoing”.
Source: information.sky.com”