DUBAI: The Syria Solidarity Campaign has launched a GoFundMe page for a Syrian refugee who died in London’s Grenfell Tower fire this week.
Mohammed Alhajali, 23, was the first victim to be publicly named as authorities say the death toll now stands at 17, with the number expected to rise significantly.
Director of the Syria Solidarity Campaign, Kareen El-Beyrouty, launched the page and within five hours people had already raised nearly $3449.
The page said: “Mohammed Alhajali undertook a dangerous journey to flee war in Syria, only to meet death here in the UK, in his own home. He died in the tragic Grenfell Tower fire in West London on June 14, along with other residents of the tower.
“Mohammed’s older brother Omar, who was with him in the flat, survived but lost Mohammed on the way out. Omar was rescued by the Fire Services while Mohammed went back upstairs. Mohammed was on the phone for two hours with a friend in Syria, waiting to be rescued.”
It page added: “He was hoping to be rescued, but when the building fire reached his flat on the 14th floor, Mohammed bid his friend goodbye, saying that the fire had reached him. He asked his friend to pass on the message to his family.
“We represent the Syria Solidarity Campaign. As friends of his family and on behalf of the family, we are raising money for his funeral and any remaining funds will be donated to Mohammed’s brother Omar and family. That way, his family in Syria can have a chance to say their last goodbyes.”
The BBC reported that Alhajali's family are trying to get visas for his parents so they can come from Damascus to see his body.
The report said the brother, Omar, was being treated at King's College Hospital and his condition was improving.
— With AFP
Syria campaign group raises funds for refugee who died in Grenfell Tower fire
Syria campaign group raises funds for refugee who died in Grenfell Tower fire
Ukraine’s Zelensky: We have backed US peace proposals to get a deal done
- “The tactic we chose is for the Americans not to think that we want to continue the war,” Zelensky told The Atlantic
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Kyiv had sought to back US peace proposals to end the war with Russia as President Donald Trump seeks to resolve the conflict before November mid-term elections.
Zelensky, in an interview published by The Atlantic on Thursday, said Kyiv was willing to hold both a presidential election and a referendum on a deal, but would not settle for an accord that was detrimental to Ukraine’s interests.
“The tactic we chose is for the Americans not to think that we want to continue the war,” Zelensky told the US-based publication. “That’s why we started supporting their proposals in any format that speeds things along.”
He said Ukraine was “not afraid of anything. Are we ready for elections? We’re ready. Are we ready for a referendum? We’re ready.”
Zelensky has sought to build good relations with Washington since an Oval Office meeting in February 2025 descended into a shouting match with Trump and US Vice President JD Vance.
But he said he had rejected a proposal, reported this week by the Financial Times, to announce the votes on February 24, the fourth anniversary of Russia’s invasion. A ceasefire and proposed US security guarantees against a future invasion had not yet been settled, he said.
“No one is clinging to power,” The Atlantic quoted him as saying. “I am ready for elections. But for that we need security, guarantees of security, a ceasefire.”
And he added: “I don’t think we should put a bad deal up for a referendum.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said Zelensky is not a legitimate negotiating partner because he has not faced election since coming to power in 2019.
Zelensky has said in recent weeks that a document on security guarantees for Ukraine is all but ready to be signed.
But, in his remarks, he acknowledged that details remained unresolved, including whether the US would be willing to shoot down incoming missiles over Ukraine if Russia were to violate the peace.
“This hasn’t been fixed yet,” Zelensky said. “We have raised it, and we will continue to raise these questions...We need all of this to be written out.”
