Palestinian-British girl, 6, dies days after family drowned off UK coast | News
Six-Year-Old Girl Dies After Family’s Drowning Incident
By Al Jazeera Staff
Published August 22, 2026
A six-year-old girl, Saja El-Khawas, has died in a hospital following a drowning incident that claimed the lives of her parents and sister earlier this week in Sussex, England, local police confirmed on Friday.
Saja was critically injured and taken to the hospital on Tuesday. Despite medical efforts, she succumbed to her injuries. Her father, Hassan El-Khawas, 55; her mother, Zeina Alayn, 37; and her 14-year-old sister, Sara El-Khawas, all drowned at Shoreham Beach on Tuesday after encountering difficulties in the water.
The family, originally from London, had traveled to Shoreham to enjoy the beach amid a heatwave affecting the United Kingdom. Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident but believe it to be a tragic accident with no evidence of third-party involvement.
According to a report by the Daily Telegraph, citing the Palestinian embassy, the El-Khawas family hailed from the Rashidieh refugee camp in southern Lebanon. Hassan El-Khawas was a refugee himself, having previously lived in one of the most densely populated Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon.
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham expressed his condolences, calling the event a “terrible family tragedy.”
In a gesture of remembrance, the Palestinian Forum in Britain held a gathering on Thursday to honor the deceased family.
The recent heatwave has led to a rise in drowning incidents across Europe, with reports of similar tragedies in France, Germany, and the UK.
