UK
British citizen Jake Marlowe missing after Hamas attack on music festival in Israel, says embassy
A British citizen is missing after Hamas attacked a music festival in Israel, the country’s embassy in the UK has told Sky News.
Jake Marlowe, 26, has not been heard from since Saturday morning, the embassy said.
It added that he is “missing near Gaza” after the attack on the festival in southern Israel.
Women and children among dozens of hostages being held by Hamas, says Israel – follow live
His mother, Lisa, told the Jewish News that her son was working as part of the security team at the festival near Re’im, a village close to 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 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.”
Israeli soldiers search the area around Re’im in southern Israel, near to where the festival took place
She said her son lived in the city Ma’alot, in north Israel, having moved to Israel permanently two years ago.
Tzipi Hotovely, the Israeli ambassador to the UK, earlier told Sky News’ Trevor Phillips On Sunday programme that a British citizen is in Gaza – but it is now understood this is not 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.
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‘We woke up to a nightmare’
Ms Hotovely said Israel woke up to a “nightmare” after Hamas launched its surprise attack on Saturday.
She said 300 Israelis were “brutally, barbarically murdered in cold blood” by people who planned in the most “calculated way” to invade.
Children were taken from their homes to Gaza, while people with dementia were “taken hostage”, she added.
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