Moment hundreds of terrified mourners take cover as air raid sirens ring out during Jerusalem funeral for ‘hero’ Brit soldier killed in Hamas massacre
- Nathaniel Young, 20, was killed by Hamas terrorists this weekend
- His funeral was interrupted by a missile attack on Jersualem on Monday
- Civilians were heard crying as sirens wailed, warning of the impending attack
This is the moment mourners who wished to pay their respects for British soldier Nathaniel Young were forced to duck and take cover as Hamas fired a rocket at Jerusalem.
Sirens wailed as the Hamas rocket flew to Jerusalem on Monday afternoon, as the hundreds gathered on Mount Herzl, just west of the country’s capital, to bid farewell to the fallen 20-year-old corporal from London cowered in fear.
Civilians were heard crying as armed soldiers stood by at the ceremony, held at the site of Israel’s national civil and military cemeteries.
His funeral was held at 4pm local time today, and shortly after 5pm several people were injured in Jerusalem by a barrage of rockets, which Hamas said it fired in response to Israel bombing civilian homes earlier on Monday.
A rabbi leading the ceremony said, while referring to the brigade he worked under, of Young: ‘You left everything to be a Golani fighter, you gave your life defending our borders. You are a hero and Golani is now your family.’
Young was a soldier in the 13th Battalion, according to the IDF, and was a former a former pupil at JFS, a Jewish mixed comprehensive school in Kenton, north London.
Armed soldiers were seen patrolling the funeral of Nathaniel Young
Hundreds of mourners were seen dropping to the ground at the young soldier’s funeral
Siren wailed overhead, warning of an incoming rocket attack on Jerusalem
At the time of Hamas’ attack on Israel, he was living in the Bayit Shel Benji home for lone IDF soldiers in Raanana, north of Tel Aviv.
His family said they were devastated upon hearing the news of his death, with one member writing on Facebook: ‘Nathanel was full of life and the life of the party – he carried the nickname DJ on base and at Benji’s house, the lone soldier house that he lived at.
‘He loved his family and friends and was loved by everyone. He loved music and was a talented DJ.
‘Always willing to go to any lengths for his loved ones. An amazing uncle and brother. He was so happy and thriving in Israel. He loved the country.’
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.’
Nathanel Young, from London, was serving in the 13th Battalion of the Israeli Defence Forces when he was killed yesterday
The 20-year-old (pictured) grew up in north London before moving to Israel after leaving school
‘Nathanel was also a bubbly guy who my two little daughters loved playing with and were always so excited to visit.
‘When Nathanel could have taken his days off to sleep and re-energise, he instead found out where we were, which wasn’t always so close to him, and came to join us.’
Several other Brits have been affected by the ongoing violence in the region.
Security guard Jake Marlowe, 26, has not been heard from since Saturday morning after he was working as part of a security team at the festival near Re’im, a village close to the border with Gaza in the south of Israel.
The Israeli Embassy in London said that Jake, who is Jewish and has lived in the Israeli city of Ma’alot for the past two years, is currently ‘missing near Gaza’ following the attack on the festival by Hamas militants on Saturday.
Léa S. (pictured, left) exclusively told MailOnline that Jake left the UK two years ago for Israel over anxieties related to the rise of anti-Semitism
Jake Marlowe (pictured) was working as a security guard at a music festival that was attacked by Hamas militants. He has not been heard from since Saturday morning
An embassy source told MailOnline that they do not know whether he is dead or has been captured.
Jake’s best friend, Léa S., exclusively told MailOnline that he left the UK two years ago for Israel over anxieties related to the rise of anti-Semitism.
Léa, a law student who met Jake three-and-a-half years ago, said: ‘Just before he went to live in Israel, he was really worried about the UK situation with the rise of anti-Semitism.’
Israel currently is drawing on its huge military might – including thousands of tanks, warplanes and troops – to obliterate Hamas after the terrorists launched a surprise assault that has so far killed 700 Israelis.
Israeli forces have already used their strike force of 600 planes and 300 rocket launchers to relentlessly pound the Gaza Strip, with airstrikes and artillery destroying 1,000 targets belonging to Hamas and killing 560 Palestinians.
Israeli airstrikes destroyed buildings and cars at the al-Shati refugee camp in Gaza Strip on Monday
A plume of smoke rises in the sky of Gaza City during an Israeli airstrike on Monday
A missile explodes in Gaza City during an Israeli air strike on Sunday night
And the onslaught won’t stop there, with Israel’s 173,000 soldiers, including 8,000 of its fearsome elite commandos, vying for the opportunity to kill Hamas terrorists who have killed more than 700 Israelis so far, including those massacred at a festival.
They are now preparing to launch a massive coordinated ground assault within the ‘next 48 hours’ to destroy the Hamas fighters and infrastructure in Gaza that will see fierce fighting erupt in the streets.
The ground troops are drawing from Israel’s arsenal of 300 military tanks including self-propelled howitzers to scour the country’s southern and northern borders for Hamas gunman and guard the breaches in its border.
Israel’s military might is far superior to that of the Hamas terrorists, who currently only possess around 10,000 rockets that had been built up in secret.
On top of the 173,000 active Israeli soldiers, Israel has today drafted in a record 300,000 reservists in its response to a multi-front Hamas attack from Gaza and is ‘going on the offensive,’ the chief military spokesperson said.
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