The British-Palestinian doctor Ghassan Abu Sitta, the President of the University of Glasgow, has received significant media attention, particularly after being barred from entering Germany and subsequently France in his efforts to call for an end to the war in Gaza. On Saturday, Abu Sitta, who was scheduled to share his experience as a doctor in Gaza during the Israeli assault with the French Senate, was returned to London after being prevented from entering France due to an entry ban to the Schengen area issued by Germany. The renowned surgeon wrote on the platform "X": "I am at Charles de Gaulle Airport. They are preventing me from entering France. I was supposed to speak in the French Senate. They say the Germans have banned my entry to Europe for a year." A police source confirmed that a "Schengen entry ban document" issued by Germany prevented his entry into Paris, and another source reported that Abu Sitta was later returned to London.
In mid-April, Abu Sitta and former Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis were barred from entering Germany, where they were supposed to participate in a "Palestinian conference" in Berlin that was shut down by police an hour after it began. In response to a query about Varoufakis, German authorities stated that this measure aimed to "prevent any anti-Semitic and anti-Israel propaganda." In a video posted the same day, Abu Sitta explained that he was barred from entering Germany "throughout April," and he denounced the "suppression of freedom of expression in Germany," which he described as "an accomplice to the Israeli army in silencing witnesses of the genocide" in Gaza. Abu Sitta was supposed to participate in a conference at the Senate organized by environmentalist senator Raymond Bonysee Monge.
Who is Abu Sitta?
Ghassan Suleiman Abu Sitta is a British-Palestinian surgeon specializing in facial and plastic surgery, and he is the current President of the University of Glasgow. Born in Kuwait in 1968 to a Palestinian family, he studied medicine in Britain following in his father's footsteps. Abu Sitta is known for providing medical assistance as a surgeon in conflict zones, particularly in the Gaza Strip. He first visited the sector as a medical student during the first intifada in 1989, then returned during the second intifada starting in 2000, and his visits continued amid the wars that Gaza has witnessed.
Abu Sitta provided medical assistance in war-torn areas in Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen. During October and November 2023, at the beginning of the Israeli war on Gaza which has since resulted in the deaths of over 34,000 Palestinians, Abu Sitta worked at Al-Shifa and the Baptist Al-Ahli Hospital in the sector. During his 43 days in Gaza recently, he spoke about witnessing a "massacre" and the use of white phosphorus munitions, which Israel denied. In January, the International Criminal Court delivered evidence to Scotland Yard concerning alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Gaza under British law, including evidence provided by Abu Sitta. He has spoken to the media and participated in several press conferences about his experiences in Gaza, and in January 2024 he traveled to The Hague to meet with International Criminal Court investigators. In April, Abu Sitta was elected President of the University of Glasgow.
