A family of three who died after getting into difficulty at sea in the UK on Tuesday were British-Palestinians.
They have been named by police as Hassan El Khawas, 55, his partner Zeina Alayn, 37, and their 14-year-old daughter, Sara El Khawas. Their younger daughter, Saja, was rescued and remains in critical condition in hospital, it was reported.
Mr Al Khawas was a refugee from the Rashidieh camp in Lebanon, according to the Palestinian embassy in the UK. The embassy said it believed that all members of the family had British citizenship and lived in Sussex.
The three died after getting into difficulty in the water in Shoreham, West Sussex. Floral tributes and messages of condolence have been left on the seafront.
Sussex Police Chief Superintendent James Collis said emergency services were called to reports of four people in difficulty in the water close to Shoreham Fort at 2.40pm on Tuesday. Police officers, supported by the coastguard and RNLI lifeboat crew, brought all four people ashore.
“Tragically, despite the best efforts of paramedics, three people – a man, woman and teenage girl – have sadly been confirmed deceased,” said Mr Collis.
“A younger girl has been taken to hospital and is in a critical condition. We can confirm all four people were members of the same family, and their next of kin have been informed. At this point, we believe all four entered the water from the land to swim and sadly got into difficulty.”
Rashidieh camp was built by UNRWA in 1963 to accommodate Palestinian refugees who came from Deir Al Qassi, Alma, Suhmata, Nahaf, Fara and other villages in Palestine. They were relocated from El Buss refugee camp and Baalbeck by the Lebanese government.
In a statement, the Palestinian Forum in Britain (PFB) said it “extends its deepest condolences to the family of Hossam Al Khawas, his wife and daughter, and to the Palestinian community in Britain, especially the people of Rashidieh camp, Lebanon. May Allah have mercy on them.”
The PFB added: “We pray for the swift recovery of their second daughter, who has been taken to hospital. We kindly ask anyone who knows the family to help us get in touch with their relatives, so that together we may fulfil our duty towards them.”
