British lone soldier killed on Oct 7 as his parents fulfill his dream of living in Israel

Sgt. Nathanel Young, a lone soldier from Great Britain serving in the IDF, was killed in action on Oct. 7, 2023, while defending the Yiftah post near the Gaza border during a Hamas attack.

His parents, Chantel and Nicky Young, were on holiday in France when the attack began. Because it was Shabbat, they only learned the full extent of the crisis later that evening – and only afterward did they receive confirmation of their son’s death.

The news came from their son Elliot, who identified Nathanel’s body at a hospital in Ashdod. Earlier that morning, their daughter Gabrielle grew concerned when Nathanel failed to respond to a message she sent at 7:14 a.m., even though he had already told her he was engaged in battle.

Just two months earlier, Nathanel had visited his parents in London during a leave from the IDF. His parents said it was a very happy visit, and they were so glad to see that Nathanel had found his footing in life, as he had not enjoyed school much.

When he made aliyah at 18, following the example of Gabrielle and his two older brothers, he said he had no intention of ever moving back to Great Britain, and his parents eventually realized that they needed to make aliyah to join him and their other grown children who had made their lives in Israel.

Speaking to Ynet News about the last time they saw their son alive, his parents said, “He had become a much more confident person, full of joy. He had made many new friends. Israel was his home. He had no intention of going back to live in England. That was certain.”

“He was determined that this was what he wanted, and he did special training to become a combat soldier. He wanted to do it for the country and for the Jewish people…he was very proud to serve in the (Golani) brigade.”

“We planned to join him,” they continued. “Nathanel was very excited that we would also be living in Israel. He dreamed of becoming wealthy so he could buy us a house to live in in Israel.”

“We have incredible stories about how he helped people. Acts of kindness he did for others, testimonies from people Nathanel influenced and gave motivation to. He encouraged people who wanted to leave the army to continue serving in the IDF,” the parents continued.

Now living in Netanya after completing their aliyah process, Chantel and Nicky Young told Ynet that “We will not let the terrorists win by causing us not to live in Israel. There was never any question of whether we would change our plans. We knew we would live here. Amazing people and organizations are supporting us. They are happy we are here.”

The Israeli government published numbers this week showing that 25,644 soldiers, police officers, and security personnel have fallen in the line of duty since the first clashes in what would later be called “The Arab-Israeli conflict” began in 1860. In addition, 5,313 civilians have been killed in terror attacks, bringing the total number of people Israel is mourning in 2026 to 30,957.

The Jewish Agency reports that 21,900 Jewish people made aliyah to Israel in the past year.