Jake Marlowe, the 26-year-old Briton who went missing during the Hamas attack on the Nova music festival on Saturday, has died, his heartbroken mother said.
Jake’s parents, Lisa and Michael, confirmed the news in a Facebook post on Wednesday.
They wrote: “We are heartbroken to have to inform you of the devastating news that our son Jake has been confirmed dead in Southern Israel.
“Repatriation plans are being developed, more information will follow.”
Jake had not been heard from since Saturday morning. He was working as part of the security team at the Nova trance music festival near Reim, a village near the Gaza border in southern Israel.
The last time anyone heard from him was when he texted his mother to tell her that rockets were flying overhead during a festival where at least 260 people were killed in a dawn attack by Hamas.
More people are believed to have been kidnapped after hundreds of terrorists stormed the area, shooting some in the legs to prevent them from escaping.
Jake Marlowe (pictured) was working as part of the security team at Israel’s Nova festival when he disappeared
Jake’s mother Lisa (pictured, left) revealed the 26-year-old’s death on Wednesday.
An hour before Jake texted his mother, he got a call from a London man who had moved to Israel two years ago saying the festival had been attacked.
In what is believed to be one of the last recordings of his voice, he told a friend in a voice note that he and his friend were trying to get people to safety, The Independent reported.
“Me and Shlomi are right for Gaza, bro,” he said, according to a transcript of the voice message.
“We’re seeing it in front of our eyes, we’re gathering people from the party, we’re on ATVs (quad bikes) and we’re telling everyone to get the f*** out.”
His friends have already started paying tribute to him.
London-based actor Dom Garfield, who knew Jake, X, previously tweeted: “Jake my brother. My heart is broken. Thank you for being the funny, warm, and creative force you were, and for the strength and support you offered me in our friendship.
“Your memory will always be a blessing and I know your final hours were spent supporting our people. I love you.’
Jake’s best friend, Leah S, previously told MailOnline that he had left the UK because of his concerns about rising anti-Semitism.
Leah, a law student who met Jake three and a half years ago, says: “Just before he left to live in Israel, he was really worried about the situation in Britain, the rise of anti-Semitism.
“He thought he should go to Israel because everything that was happening to him in the UK was too much for him.”
Leah said she and her partner Daniel, who were both close to Jake, were concerned for his safety because he was a “protective” person who put the safety of others before his own.
“We were really worried because we know Jake is someone who is not afraid to give his life for another (person).”
She also revealed that Jake’s partner, Shira, didn’t know he was missing until Saturday night.
Leah S (pictured, left) exclusively told MailOnline that Jake left the UK for Israel two years ago because of concerns about rising anti-Semitism.
He had not been heard from since Saturday morning, when Hamas terrorists attacked the Nova festival
Leah, a law student who first met Jake three and a half years ago, said she was worried about Jake’s safety because of his compassionate nature.
Jake was only 26 when he died
Shira was reportedly observing Shabbat, the Jewish tradition of not working on days of rest, in northern Israel, far from Jake’s workplace, and was not aware of her disappearance until 6pm on Saturday.
News of Jake’s death comes hours after it was revealed that up to 17 British nationals, including children, were either missing or dead following a surprise Hamas attack on Israel at the weekend.
Two British men were previously confirmed to be among the hundreds of civilians killed by Hamas terrorists, including 20-year-old Nathaniel Young, who served in the Israeli army.
And British man Savion Kiper, 30, was also confirmed dead after a group of Palestinian militants opened fire on crowds in the Negev desert on Saturday. Her fiance, Dor Shafiri, is still missing.
57-year-old Glaswegian Bernard Cowen, who lived in Israel with his wife and two children, is among the Britons killed by terrorists. On Sunday, family members revealed that he had been “murdered in cold blood at his home” by Hamas terrorists.
A spokesperson for the UK Foreign Office told MailOnline. “We do not comment on individual consular cases. However, we can confirm that we are in contact with and assisting the families and OPTs of several individuals in Israel.
“The safety of all Britons remains our priority and we urge everyone to continue to follow our travel advice, which is updated regularly.”
The Israeli Embassy in London declined to comment on Jake’s death.