The father of a New Zealand-born man killed in Gaza had planned to bring his children home before they had to go into service in Israel, the dead man's grandfather says.
Staff Sergeant Guy Boyland, a combat engineer for the Israeli 7th Amoured Brigade, was killed on Friday. He was 21.
His grandfather, Jim Boyland, told Radio New Zealand’s Morning Report that Guy spent several years living in Taupo when he was a boy before the family moved to Israel when he was aged two or three.
The family - father Glenn, mother Adva and sister Kim - moved to Israel when Adva's parents became unwell.
“My son said ‘don't worry Dad, I'll bring them home before they're due for their army service’ but things didn't happen that way,” Jim Boyland said.
