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

1969 (age 54–55)
Kuwait
Other namesGhassan Abu Sitta
Alma mater
Children3
Websitedrghassanabusittah.com

Ghassan Salman Abu-Sittah (Arabic: غسان أبو ستة; born 1968/1969)[1] is a British-Palestinian plastic and reconstructive surgeon. He is known for his work in conflict zones and specialises in craniofacial surgery, aesthetic surgery, cleft lip and palate surgery, and trauma related injuries.[2]

Early life and education

Ghassan was born in Kuwait to a Palestinian family who had left their home during 1948 Arab–Israeli War and become refugees in the Gaza Strip. They later moved to Egypt and the UK in the late 1980s.[3] Abu-Sittah studied at the University of Glasgow[4] and completed a postgraduate residency in London. He underwent three fellowships: Pediatric Craniofacial Surgery and Cleft Surgery at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Sick Kids (GOS), and Trauma Reconstruction at the Royal London Hospital.[5]

Career

Abu-Sittah first visited the Gaza Strip as a medical student during the First Intifada in 1989.[4][6] He was inspired to focus on conflict medicine by Ang Swee Chai.[6]

After graduating from university, Abu-Sittah began working for the National Health Service.[7] In July 2005, Abu-Sittah helped treat victims of the London bombings.[7]

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.[8][9] Abu-Sittah has also worked in war zones in Iraq., Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen.[4][7]

In January 2011, Abu-Sittah joined the faculty of the American University of Beirut Hospital.[7] He worked as the director of the hospital's Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Department from 2012 until September 2020.[4][6][8] In 2015, he also co-founded and co-directed the Conflict Medicine Program at the AUB's Global Health Institute.[6][7] Abu-Sittah also provided remote assistance for surgeons working in the Gaza Strip.[10]

In 2021, Abu-Sittah worked as a lecturer at the Centre for Blast Injury Studies at Imperial College London.[6]

Abu-Sittah returned to Gaza on October 9, 2023 at the onset of the 2023 Israel-Hamas war.[11] During the war, Abu-Sittah worked with Doctors Without Borders out of the Al-Shifa Hospital.[4][12][13] He has spoken to news outlets and posted updates on Twitter about the hospital and some of the patients.[13][14][15] On November 18, after 43 days, Abu-Sittah returned to London, where he gave a press conference discussing his experiences.[11][16] During the press conference, he said he treated patients suffering from white phosphorus burns, which the IDF has denied using.[16][17] Abu-Sittah plans to works with Scotland Yard to share his testimony of the situation in Gaza.[11] In January 2024, he is traveling to the Hague to meet with International Criminal Court (ICC) investigators.[18]

Abu-Sittah was an editor and co-author of the book Reconstructing the War Injured Patient.[6] He is a trustee of the Institute for Palestine Studies.[5]

Personal life

Ghassan moved to Beirut in 2011.[7]

As of 2023, Abu-Sittah lives in East London with his wife Deema[19] and three sons.[4] On 16 October 2023, Abu-Sittah's family in London was questioned by Met Police about Abu-Sittah's work in Gaza.[4][20][3]

References

  1. ↑ Howeidy, Amira (October 24, 2023). "'Gaza war does not compare to Syria or Yemen'". Ahram Online. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
  2. ↑ "About: Advisors". United Palestinian Appeal. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
  3. 1 2 Lampert, Nicole (2023-12-02). "Can the media trust this doctor in Gaza?". UnHerd. Retrieved 2023-12-02.
  4. 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.
  5. 1 2 "Trustee, Senior Fellow: Ghassan Abu-Sittah". Institute for Palestine Studies. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. 1 2 Wedeman, Ben (2018-05-18). "He's treated thousands. The surgeon who keeps returning to Gaza". CNN. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
  9. ↑ 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.
  10. ↑ "In Gaza, hand surgery gets remote assistance from Beirut". Reuters. 2016-05-04. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
  11. 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.
  12. ↑ Ashraf, Benjamin (2023-10-25). "Until the final breath: Ghassan Abu-Sittah's oath to Gaza". The New Arab. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
  13. 1 2 "5 Doctors and Journalists Playing Vital Roles in Gaza's Humanitarian Crisis". Vogue Arabia. 2023-10-30. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
  14. ↑ Dagres, Holly (2023-10-12). "Gaza under siege: A doctor recounts the humanitarian cost of war". Atlantic Council. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
  15. ↑ "Gaza hospitals running out of supplies for wounded as Israel's bombardment goes on". The Independent. 2023-10-10. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
  16. 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.
  17. ↑ Pope, Felix. "Gaza surgeon used as pundit by BBC, Sky and CNN wept as he praised terror leader". www.thejc.com. Retrieved 2023-12-02.
  18. ↑ AFP (8 January 2024). "UK-Palestinian surgeon fights for 'justice' after Gaza return". France24. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
  19. ↑ Dadouch, Sarah (15 December 2023). "A doctor went to Gaza to help. What he saw there still haunts him". The Washington Post. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
  20. ↑ "Met Police question London family of doctor in Gaza". BBC News. 2023-10-17. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
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