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The Palestinian embassy said the family were Palestinian refugees from the Rashidieh Camp in Lebanon

A young girl has died in hospital after she was pulled from the sea in West Sussex alongside three family members who also died, according to a law firm acting for the hospital and the Palestinian Forum in Britain.

Saja El-Khawas, six, died on Friday after the deaths of Sara El-Khawas, 14, and her parents Hassan El-Khawas, 55, and Zeina Alayn, 37, on Tuesday afternoon in Shoreham-by-Sea.

Saja had been in hospital in a critical condition since the incident.

Her identity and death were confirmed in a legal notice from solicitors acting on behalf of Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, as well as the Palestinian Forum in Britain.

The Palestinian embassy said Mr El-Khawas was a Palestinian refugee from the Rashidieh Camp in Lebanon.

Rashidieh Camp is on the Mediterranean coast in southern Lebanon.

It is one of the most populous Palestinian refugee camps in the country.

The older part of the camp was built by the French government in 1936 to accommodate Armenian refugees who fled to Lebanon.

The newer part was built in 1963 by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East for Palestine refugees, according to the agency.

They are understood to have been visiting Shoreham for the day when they entered the water.

The force believes all four entered the water to swim from the beach near Shoreham Fort at around 2pm before they got into difficulty.

On Wednesday, Sussex Police said their investigation remains open.

After a review of CCTV footage and initial witness accounts, it is currently thought the deaths were a tragic accident, with no third-party involvement.

Chief Superintendent James Collis said: "The events of Tuesday afternoon are a heartbreaking tragedy which has devastated a family and their friends and had a profound impact on the Shoreham community."

Floral tributes were left at the scene after news of the incident broke.

Residents spoke of their "shock" following the incident - described as an "absolute tragedy".

An Essex Police statement says they are working with HM Coroner "to understand exactly how this incident occurred".

They said they will provide updates "as soon as we are able, but we ask that the family is given the privacy they deserve at this incredibly difficult time".