Former Glasgow University student killed in devastating Gaza bombing

A former student at the University of Glasgow, Dima Alhaj, has been killed in Gaza this morning alongside her six-month-old baby, her husband and her two brothers.

The Herald reported Alhaj and her family are understood to have died after being “crushed under the rubble” when her parents’ house in southern Gaza, where she had evacuated to, was hit by a bomb on Tuesday. It is understood over 50 family and community members sheltering in the same house also died.

A few years ago, the 29-year-old was an Erasmus student at the University of Glasgow. She recently worked for the World Health Organisation (WHO) as a patient administrator at a Limb Reconstruction Centre.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of WHO, wrote that he was “devastated” at the loss.

University of Glasgow’s Principal, Anton Muscatelli said how “tragic” the news was “in the midst of thousands of similar stories of grief and despair”, calling Dima “one of our own”.

Journalist and friend of Dima, Liam O’Hare has commented via X: “Dima is a former student at the University of Glasgow and stayed with my parents when she was in Scotland. She and her husband Mohammed had moved four times during the attack on Gaza and said last week that she hoped her son Abood would live to see brighter days.”

He also shared some of Dima’s last messages, including a picture of her six-month-old son, showing his support for her and her family.

First Minister Humza Yousaf has been vocal about backing a ceasefire as he tabled the Parliamentary motion on Gaza which was debated in Holyrood on Tuesday.

On Wednesday, Israel’s Cabinet approved a ceasefire deal with Hamas that would bring a temporary halt to the devastating situation that has now been officially in motion for over six weeks.

Featured image via Facebook

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