Six-Year-Old Saja el-Khawas Dies in Hospital Following Tragic Drowning Incident Off UK Coast That Claimed Her Parents and Sister

A six-year-old Palestinian-British girl has tragically died in hospital days after her parents and sister drowned off the UK coast, according to local police. Saja el-Khawas had been rushed to hospital in critical condition on Tuesday before passing away, Sussex police confirmed on Friday.

Saja’s father Hassan El-Khawas, 55, her mother Zeina Alayn, 37, and her 14-year-old sister Sara El-Khawas all lost their lives at the scene after experiencing difficulties in the water at Shoreham, Sussex, on Tuesday. The London-based family had traveled to Shoreham to visit the beach as the United Kingdom experienced its latest heatwave.

Although an ongoing investigation remains open, police stated that the current working theory points to a “tragic accident, with no third-party involvement”. Citing the Palestinian embassy, the Daily Telegraph reported that the family originally hailed from the Rashidieh refugee camp in southern Lebanon. Hassan had reportedly arrived in the UK as a refugee, having previously lived in Rashidieh, which is among the most heavily populated Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon.

UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham previously characterized the incident involving the el-Khawas family as a “terrible family tragedy”. On Thursday, the Palestinian Forum in Britain organized a gathering to honor and commemorate the family. Across Europe, drowning incidents have risen as individuals search for cooling relief from continental heatwaves, with similar tragedies documented in France, Germany, and the UK.