Jake Marlowe, British man who was missing after Hamas attack in Israel, is confirmed dead
As the conflict intensifies, 17 British nationals are feared dead or missing after the attack in Israel by Hamas on Saturday. The violence since the weekend has already claimed more than 2,000 lives on both sides, with many expecting further escalations.
Wednesday 11 October 2023 21:55, UK
A 26-year-old British man who was working as a security guard at a music festival in Israel when it was attacked by Hamas on Saturday has been confirmed dead, his family says.
Jake Marlowe, who had been missing since , was confirmed to have died in southern Israel.
The 26-year-old's parents, Lisa and Michael Marlowe, said: "We are heartbroken to have to inform you the crushing news that our son Jake has been confirmed dead in southern Israel."
Read more: Latest on Israel-Hamas war
They also said repatriation plans were being put in place, adding: "Please respect our privacy at this most devastating time."
An Israeli embassy spokesperson told Sky News Mr Marlowe was "now confirmed dead in southern Israel".
Mr Marlowe was a former pupil at the JFS School in Kenton, north London, and reportedly moved to Israel two years ago.
Seventeen British nationals, including children, are feared to have been killed or are missing in the country after the lethal assault by Palestinian militants who stormed the border from the Gaza Strip and attacked several areas, Sky News understands.
The dance event targeted by Hamas fighters was in the desert near Kibbutz Re'im, close to the Gaza border. At least 260 people were killed there.
Three other Britons had previously been , with the violence since Saturday claiming more than 2,000 lives on both sides so far.
Among those known to have died is 20-year-old Nathanel Young, who was serving in the Israeli army when he was killed during Hamas's raid.
He attended the same school as Mr Marlowe.
Bernard Cowan, who grew up around Glasgow, also died.
Photographer Dan Darlington was confirmed to have died after a post from his sister, Shelley, on social media said he was "murdered" at Nir Oz, in southern Israel.
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Israeli warplanes have carried out more airstrikes on the Gaza Strip targeting who Israel says are Hamas "terrorists".
Some 535 residential buildings have been destroyed leaving around 250,000 people homeless, according to Hamas authorities.
Israel's air force has also targeted southern Lebanon, with Israel claiming to have struck a Hezbollah lookout position in retaliation for cross-border fire.
Meanwhile, Israel has stopped the entry of food, fuel and medicines into Gaza, and the sole remaining access from Egypt shut down on Tuesday after airstrikes hit near the border crossing, with the violence expected to escalate further.
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Israel vows to 'wipe out' Hamas
To many of the 2.3 million residents in the Gaza Strip, the mobilisation of Israeli troops near the border and intense bombardment raise fears of a ground invasion that may surpass Israel's incursions in 2008 and 2014.
One Israeli security source said a ground offensive now looked inevitable, while Sky News military analyst Michael Clarke believes Israel would prefer a multi-pronged attack into Gaza, probably from the land and sea simultaneously.
It comes as Israel vowed to "wipe out" Hamas after claiming children were burnt alive, beheaded and shot in the head, a government minister from the country told Sky News.
Israel's economics minister Nir Barkat said its military operation would continue until there was a "clear white flag" and there was a "more moderate" replacement for the militant group that rules in the Gaza Strip.
Many Palestinians in the narrow territory have no way of escaping, with the Egyptian border still closed in the south.
A ground offensive carries risks for Israel, notably to the hostages held in the narrow and densely populated Gaza Strip, with Hamas threatening to execute a captive for each home hit without warning.
As violence escalates, electricity in Gaza went out on Wednesday after the sole power station shut down as it ran out of fuel, while hospitals struggle with dwindling medical supplies.
Israel withdrew troops from Gaza in 2005 after 38 years of occupation, with Hamas seizing power in 2007.
Since then, Israel has kept it under blockade, creating conditions Palestinians say are intolerable.