Palestinian refugee and two relatives drown off English coast
A Palestinian refugee family drowned while swimming off the coast of Shoreham-by-Sea in West Sussex. Three family members were confirmed dead at the scene, while a fourth remains in critical condition in the hospital.
Why it matters
This tragic incident highlights the ongoing risks of open water swimming and has prompted official warnings from UK leadership regarding water safety.
A girl is taken to hospital in critical condition in what PM Burnham calls a ‘terrible family tragedy’.
x whatsapp-stroke copylink google Add Al Jazeera on Google info Police, paramedics, coastguard crews and a lifeboat worked at the scene where four people were pulled from the water [File: Sarah Tilotta/Getty Images] Published On 19 Aug 2026 19 Aug 2026 Three members of a Palestinian British family have drowned after entering the sea off England’s Sussex coast.
The Palestinian embassy in London announced their deaths on Wednesday, a day after the family went for a swim near Shoreham Fort in Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex.
The father, Hossam al-Khawas, was a Palestinian refugee from the Rashidieh Camp in southern Lebanon near Tyre, the Press Association news agency reported.
Police, paramedics, coastguard crews and a lifeboat were deployed at the scene where four people were pulled from the water.
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