British-Israeli soldier killed in explosion in Gaza
Sergeant Yisrael Natan Rosenfeld, 20, was killed in the city of Jabalia as the military expanded its operation in the north and centre of the Gaza Strip in its efforts to root out Hamas militants.
Rosenfeld, who was serving with the Combat Engineering Battalion, moved to Israel with his family 12 years ago from the UK. His sister's husband, also an Israeli soldier, was killed in battle on October 7, 2023, the day of the Hamas attacks that led to the war.
A family friend told Haaretz newspaper that Rosenfeld was 'just a lovely, sweet boy who was always smiling'. She said: 'Today our sweet Nathan was taken from us and he is young, very young; this has to stop. Get the soldiers out of there and get the hostages out. Enough … my heart is broken.'
He was 20th Israeli soldier killed this month, and the 880th in the Gaza war, by far the deadliest conflict for Israeli soldiers in the country's history. Last week, seven soldiers died in southern Gaza after an improvised bomb was thrown through the hatch of an armoured vehicle, killing everyone inside.
The majority of Israelis, about 70 per cent according to polls taken throughout the 20-month conflict, support bringing an end to the war and the return of the remaining 50 hostages, fewer than half of whom are believed to still be alive.
Rosenfeld is one of many British-Israelis serving in the Israeli military, and his death brings the toll to at least three killed since October 7 2023. Binyamin Needham, 19, was killed in December 2023 after serving for two days in Gaza. Another British-borne soldier, Nathanel Young, 20, was killed in February last year.
Other dual citizens, including Emily Damari, who was freed in January, were kidnapped by Hamas.
In April, a British lawyer filed a war crimes complaint against ten UK citizens on military duty in Gaza to the Metropolitan Police, alleging that they intentionally killed civilians and aid workers.
The UK allows dual citizens to serve for foreign powers as long as their armed forces are legitimately recognised.
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