The UK government is said to fear that over 10 British citizens may have died or gone missing in Israel following an attack by Hamas over the weekend. Nathanel Young and Bernard Cowan are the two Britons confirmed to have already died in the debacle, whilst others remain at large. Amongst the 700 people to have reportedly been killed during the attacks, Jake Marlowe, a Briton providing security at a music festival in Israel, was reportedly missing at the time of reporting. Dan Darlington, a photographer from the UK, whose family claims he is dead, is also included in the possible death toll.
Numerous families are still struggling to come to terms with what has happened to their loved ones. The family of Cowan, from Glasgow, have made a statement in which they expressed their grief and asked for privacy to grieve in peace. Young’s former school, North London’s JFS Jewish School, has said it is “devastated” by their former student’s passing. JFS has close ties to the two other former students, Marlow and Cowan, who passed away, as well as many other Britons, past and present. Flowers have been placed outside of the school in honor of the former students who have passed.
The British government has announced that it is currently assisting the families of the Britons affected, and the Foreign Office has advised against all non-essential travel to the region due to conflict. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has publically declared that he is working closely with Israel to establish the status of British nationals on the ground, and has held an emergency Cobra meeting to discuss the issue. There are believed to be around 50,000 to 60,000 British nationals in either Israel or Gaza.
At present, there are no concrete plans for a facilitated evacuation of British citizens from the region, with those in need of support being advised to contact the Foreign Office. Security sources remain on high alert, and flights out of Israel are being closely monitored. The UK Government has made consular numbers available to any British national seeking to leave should they so wish. The situation remains ongoing, with regular updates expected in the coming days
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