As missiles flew this week out of Gaza, one British-Israeli soldier received treatment to repair his eyesight, damaged in a Hamas strike on his jeep.

Shimon Alankri, a 20-year-old medic in the Sayeret Givati reconnaissance unit, had been driving along the Gaza border on November 10 with three other soldiers when Gazan terrorists fired an anti-tank missile at his jeep, seriously wounding two of the men and lightly wounding the two others. It was the hit that arguably triggered the recent conflict: Israel responded by taking out top Hamas commander Ahmed al-Jabari last week.

Mr Alankri suffered wounds to his upper body and severe damage to his eyesight but, after several operations, doctors are optimistic that he will recover full use of both eyes.

His mother, Diana, grew up Diana Morris in Surbiton and made aliyah in 1984, aged 21. Ms Alankri, who works for an accounting firm and lives in Rishon Letzion with her husband, Shalom, said that when her son was injured he “was doing what he wanted to do, it comes from within your heart”.

Shortly after the incident, the terror cell released a video of the attack. The clip was aired by the Israeli media, and was seen by Diana.

“Bloody hell it was horrific. You hear them singing in the background, it’s disgraceful,” she said.