Ghassan Abu-Sittah
غسان أبو ستة
Born
Ghassan Salman Abu-Sittah

1969 (age 53–54)
Kuwait
Occupation(s)Plastic and reconstructive surgeon

Ghassan Abu-Sittah (Arabic: غسان أبو ستة; born 1968/1969)[1] is a British-Palestinian plastic and reconstructive surgeon primarily focused on conflict medicine.

Career

Abu-Sittah first visited the Gaza Strip as a medical student during the First Intifada in 1989.[2][3] He was inspired to focus on conflict medicine by Ang Swee Chai.[3]

He trained as a doctor in Glasgow,[2] after which he began working for the National Health Service.[4] In July 2005, Abu-Sittah helped treat victims of the London bombings.[4]

Abu-Sittah traveled to Gaza as a member of Medical Aid for Palestinians to provide medical assistance during the Second Intifada, the 2008-2009 Gaza War, the 2012 Israeli operation in the Gaza Strip, the 2014 Gaza War, and the 2018 Great March.[5][6] Abu-Sittah has also worked in war zones in Iraq., Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen.[2][4]

In January 2011, Abu-Sittah joined the faculty of the American University of Beirut Hospital.[4] He worked as the director of the hospital's Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Cepartment from 2012 until September 2020.[2][3][5] In 2015, he also co-founded and co-directed the Conflict Medicine Program at the AUB's Global Health Institute.[3][4] Abu-Sittah also provided remote assistance for surgeons working in the Gaza Strip.[7]

In 2021, Abu-Sittah worked as a lecturer at the Centre for Blast Injury Studies at Imperial College London.[3]

Abu-Sittah returned to Gaza on October 9, 2023 at the onset of the 2023 Israel-Hamas war.[8] During the war, Abu-Sittah worked with Doctors Without Borders out of the Al-Shifa Hospital.[2][9][10] He has spoken to news outlets and posted updates on Twitter about the hospital and some of the patients.[10][11][12] On November 18, after 43 days, Abu-Sittah returned to London, where he gave a press conference discussing his experiences.[8][13] During the press conference, he said he treated patients suffering from white phosphorus burns, which the IDF has denied using.[13] Abu-Sittah plans to works with Scotland Yard to share his testimony of the situation in Gaza.[8]

Abu-Sittah was an editor and co-author of the book Reconstructing the War Injured Patient.[3] He is a trustee of the Institute for Palestinian Studies.[14]

Personal life

His uncle is Salman Abu Sitta. Ghassan moved to Beirut in 2011.[4]

As of 2023, Abu-Sittah lives in London with his wife and three sons.[2] On October 16, 2023, Abu-Sittah's family in London was questioned by Met Police about Abu-Sittah's work in Gaza.[2][15]

References

  1. ↑ Howeidy, Amira (October 24, 2023). "'Gaza war does not compare to Syria or Yemen'". Ahram Online. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Grierson, Jamie; Sherwood, Harriet (2023-10-17). "Surgeon treating patients in Gaza says police in London 'harassed' his family". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Halawa, Ahmed (2021-07-26). "Ghassan Abu-Sittah: A War-Zone Surgeon Sets Up a Curriculum for Conflict Medicine". Al-Fanar Media. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Woodward, Michelle (2020-12-15). "The Evolution of Conflict Medicine in the Middle East - An Interview with Ghassan Abu Sittah". MERIP. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
  5. 1 2 Wedeman, Ben (2018-05-18). "He's treated thousands. The surgeon who keeps returning to Gaza". CNN. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
  6. ↑ Issa, Perla (2018-08-01). "INTERVIEW WITH DR. GHASSAN ABU SITTA"There Is No International Community"". Journal of Palestine Studies. 47 (4): 46–56. doi:10.1525/jps.2018.47.4.46. ISSN 0377-919X.
  7. ↑ "In Gaza, hand surgery gets remote assistance from Beirut". Reuters. 2016-05-04. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
  8. 1 2 3 Sebouai, Lilia (2023-11-27). "'I performed six amputations in one night': London doctor recalls war horrors after 43 days in Gaza". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2023-11-27.
  9. ↑ Ashraf, Benjamin (2023-10-25). "Until the final breath: Ghassan Abu-Sittah's oath to Gaza". The New Arab. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
  10. 1 2 "5 Doctors and Journalists Playing Vital Roles in Gaza's Humanitarian Crisis". Vogue Arabia. 2023-10-30. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
  11. ↑ Dagres, Holly (2023-10-12). "Gaza under siege: A doctor recounts the humanitarian cost of war". Atlantic Council. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
  12. ↑ "Gaza hospitals running out of supplies for wounded as Israel's bombardment goes on". The Independent. 2023-10-10. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
  13. 1 2 Abdul, Geneva (2023-11-27). "London surgeon says he saw 'massacre unfold' while working in Gaza hospitals". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-11-27.
  14. ↑ "Ghassan Abu-Sittah". Institute for Palestine Studies. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
  15. ↑ "Met Police question London family of doctor in Gaza". BBC News. 2023-10-17. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
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