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

The World Health Organization (WHO) chief said that one of its employees, Dima Alhaj, had died.

 

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus posted a photo of the WHO worker on social media platform X.

 

Ms Alhaj studied in Glasgow a few years ago as part of the Erasmus programme.

 

University of Glasgow principal, Professor Sir Anton Muscatelli, said he shared the grief of her employers for the death of “one of our own.”

 

He said: “This is one utterly tragic news story in the midst of thousands of similar stories of grief and despair. 

Glasgow Times:

 

“Dima was an Erasmus student in @UofGlasgow a few years ago - the @WHO DG’s message says it all. 

 

“We share their grieving for one of our own. Ceasefire and release hostages now.”

 

"My colleagues and I are devastated: we have lost one of our own in Gaza today," said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyes.


“Reportedly multiple other family members sheltering in the same house were also killed," he added, without giving further details of how the family died and who was responsible.

 

Liam O’Hare, a journalist and documentary maker, said the former University of Glasgow student had stayed with his parents while she was in Scotland.

 

Glasgow Times:

 

He said: “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.”

 

Scottish Labour has formally backed demands for a full ceasefire in Israel’s bombardment of Gaza, widening the party’s divisions on the conflict.

 

Anas Sarwar supported a motion tabled by Scotland’s first minister, Humza Yousaf, in Holyrood on Tuesday calling for an immediate truce, in defiance of Keir Starmer’s instruction that Labour should only support “pauses” to allow evacuations and aid to arrive.