Palestinian refugee family drown in sea off English coast

UK police have identified the three victims of a drowning incident off the coast of Shoreham, West Sussex, as 55-year-old Hassan El Khawas, his 37-year-old partner Zeina Alayn, and their 14-year-old daughter, Sara El Khawas. A younger daughter, Saja, was rescued and remains in critical condition in hospital. According to the Palestinian embassy in the UK, Mr. El Khawas was born in the Rashidieh refugee camp in Lebanon, and it is believed all family members held British citizenship and resided in Sussex. Nehad Khanfar, head of the Association of Palestinians Communities in the UK, described the family as well-established and active members of the British-Palestinian community, adding that the community is deeply shocked by the tragedy. Sussex Police Chief Superintendent James Collis stated that emergency services were called on Tuesday afternoon after reports of four people in difficulty in the water. Despite the efforts of paramedics, three were confirmed deceased. A postmortem examination is required before burial arrangements can be made.