Tributes to former Glasgow university student killed in Gaza

Dima Alhaj was killed along with her baby, husband and brothers

Tributes have been paid to a former University of Glasgow student who has died in Gaza.

Dima Alhaj was killed last month alongside her six-month-old baby, her husband and her two brothers.

Roseann Maguire, who hosted Ms Alhaj in Glasgow for two months, remembered her as a "lovely young woman".

Ms Alhaj was working for the World Health Organisation (WHO), who announced the news of her death on social media.

Dozens of her family members were also killed in the explosion, believed to have been caused by an airstrike.

The 29-year-old had studied in Glasgow as part of the Erasmus programme, before returning to Gaza where she worked with the WHO Trauma and Emergency Team.

Ms Maguire recalled that the former student had always planned to return home to Gaza after her studies.

She said: "Dima was very concerned about the situation of people in Gaza, and she wanted to go back and help in some way. That was the kind of young woman she was."

Ms Alhaj stayed with Ms Maguire and Gerry O'Hare in their Glasgow home after her initial accommodation plans fell through.

More on Israel-Gaza war

• Follow live: Latest updates

• Hostages: Wounded festival-goer in Hamas video freed

• Prisoners: Released Palestinians allege abuse in Israeli jails

• Explained: Who are the hostages released from Gaza?

• In Gaza: How much damage has been done?

• History behind the story: The Israel-Palestinian conflict

Ms Maguire recalled: "She really enjoyed the freedom of Glasgow... She called us her second family."

The three remained in touch after Ms Alhaj returned to Gaza. Mr O'Hare became friends with her father, a doctor in the area.

Ms Maguire last heard from Ms Alhaj on 13 November, just over a week before she was killed.

She said: "The messages started saying 'this is terrible', and then got shorter [as time went on]. They were just saying 'I'm alive. Pray for me.'"

The last message sent to Ms Maguire stated: "No words to express. Please pray for us. This is Abood, my little boy. I hope he lives to see better days."

Mr O'Hare, who once visited the Alhaj family in Gaza, added: "This was a family house, they showed me round the fruit trees. For the life of me I can't understand why a family home, detached, would be the subject of a massive bomb attack."

More than 100 University of Glasgow students and members of the public attended a candlelight vigil held in Ms Alhaj's memory last week.

Officials in Gaza say more than 14,800 people including about 6,000 children have been killed since Israel began its military campaign against Hamas there, with thousands more believed to be dead under rubble.

It follows Hamas's attack on Israel on 7 October during which it killed about 1,200 people and kidnapped 240 others.

Israel's bombardment of Gaza has now resumed after a temporary ceasefire ended on Friday.