Gaza beach tragedy girl arrives in UAE

From correspondents in Abu Dhabi
July 13, 2006

A 10-YEAR-OLD Palestinian girl who lost nearly her entire family in a Gaza beach blast arrived in Abu Dhabi today, after a member of the oil-rich emirate's ruling family said he wanted to adopt her.

Huda Ghalya and four companions were taken to hospital for treatment in the UAE capital, the official WAM news agency reported.

According to Palestinian sources, Huda's father, stepmother and three of her siblings were killed while picnicking on a Gaza beachfront last month by what is widely believed to have been Israeli shelling.

Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed al-Nahayan, deputy prime minister of the UAE, proposed in a telephone conversation with Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas to adopt Huda, who became an icon for many Arabs when footage of her wailing by her dead father was beamed around the world.

"Life is smiling at me again thanks to the care of father Sheikh Hamdan," WAM quoted Huda as saying.

Three surviving members of the family were reported to have undergone medical treatment in Egypt.

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