Ghassan Abu-Sittah

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British-Palestinian plastic and reconstructive surgeon; Rector of the University of Glasgow from 2024

Ghassan Abu-Sittah

Image Ghassan Abu-Sittah 2023.jpg
Ghassan Abu-Sittah interviewed by Doha News, December 2023
Born July 1969
Nationality British
Occupation Plastic and reconstructive surgeon
Known for Surgery in Gaza hospitals in October–November 2023; Rector of the University of Glasgow (2024–2027)
Education University of Glasgow (MB ChB 1993)
Website https://drghassanabusittah.com/

Ghassan Abu-Sittah (born July 1969) is a British-Palestinian plastic and reconstructive surgeon who specialises in craniofacial, cleft and war-injury reconstruction.[1][2] He headed plastic and reconstructive surgery at the American University of Beirut Medical Center from 2012 and returned to the UK in 2020.[3] He worked as a surgeon in al-Ahli and al-Shifa hospitals in Gaza for 43 days from 9 October 2023, during the genocide in Gaza, and afterwards gave evidence to the Metropolitan Police war crimes team.[4] In March 2024 he was elected Rector of the University of Glasgow for 2024–2027.[5]

Career

Abu-Sittah graduated MB ChB from the University of Glasgow in 1993.[6] According to the American University of Beirut (AUB), he did his residency and fellowships in paediatric craniofacial surgery, cleft surgery and trauma reconstruction in London. He then worked in the National Health Service, where he helped treat victims of the 2005 London bombings.[7] His own website says his fellowships were at Great Ormond Street Hospital and the Royal London Hospital, and that he became a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons (Plastic Surgery) in 2010.[2]

He moved to Beirut in 2011 as an associate professor at AUB. The university's biographies say he became head of plastic and reconstructive surgery at its medical centre in 2012, and in 2015 founding director of the Conflict Medicine Program at AUB's Global Health Institute.[7][3] He has written on war injuries, including the textbooks Reconstructing the War Injured Patient and Treating the War Injured Child.[3] AUB has awarded him an honorary doctorate.[7]

In a 2020 interview with Action on Armed Violence, he said he had worked in Iraq during the first Gulf War, and in Gaza during the first and second intifadas, the 2008, 2012 and 2014 wars and the Great March of Return, as well as in Syria and Mosul.[8] The University of Glasgow's rectorial election page says that after returning to the UK in 2020 he practised plastic surgery privately. It also lists him as an honorary senior clinical lecturer at Imperial College London, a visiting senior lecturer at King's College London, and clinical lead for the Operational Trauma Initiative at the World Health Organization's Eastern Mediterranean office.[3]

Gaza, October–November 2023

Abu-Sittah crossed from Egypt into Gaza on 9 October 2023 with a Médecins Sans Frontières team. He stayed for 43 days, working mainly in the al-Ahli and al-Shifa hospitals in northern Gaza.[4] He was at al-Ahli hospital on 17 October 2023 when a blast struck its courtyard, where displaced people were sheltering. He said many of the injuries he saw were more consistent with an Israeli Hellfire missile; Israeli authorities and US and French intelligence agencies said the explosion was caused by a misfired Palestinian rocket, and Human Rights Watch said the fragmentation pattern was not typical of the Hellfire.[4] He also said he had treated patients with burns consistent with white phosphorus.[4][9] In November 2023 The Independent reported that the Metropolitan Police war crimes unit, which gathers evidence for the International Criminal Court, had contacted him. He told the paper that 40 to 45 per cent of the patients he treated were children.[9] In January 2024 AFP reported that he had testified to the Met and was due to meet International Criminal Court investigators in The Hague.[10] The University of Glasgow's election page says his evidence contributed to South Africa's submission to the International Court of Justice.[3]

Rector of the University of Glasgow

In his rectorial manifesto Abu-Sittah pledged to press the university to "officially and unequivocally condemn Israel's ongoing genocidal campaign", to divest from the arms trade, to build partnerships with Palestinian universities, and to replace the IHRA definition of antisemitism, adopted by the university in 2021, with the Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism.[3] During the campaign UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI) wrote to the Principal, Anton Muscatelli, about him. UKLFI published Muscatelli's reply, which said he had asked the Clerk of Senate, the returning officer, to investigate. Abu-Sittah told the Jewish Chronicle: "I do not support terrorism… I trust the University to conduct a fair investigation."[11][12]

He was elected on 26 March 2024 with 4,172 of 5,219 votes. The other three candidates, Paul Sweeney, Susan McCabe and the outgoing Rector, Lady Rae, received 430, 350 and 234; 33 papers were spoilt.[5][3] His term runs from 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2027,[3] and he was installed on 11 April 2024.[13] In a letter UKLFI published on 29 March 2024, Muscatelli wrote that "The Rector is a wholly independent role" and that the Rector's views "do not represent those of the University".[14][15] Under the Court's Standing Orders the Rector is "the ordinary president of the Court".[16]

On 20 November 2024 the University Court, following the senior management's advice, voted 14–7 not to require its fund managers to divest from defence companies. Abu-Sittah sent apologies for that meeting.[17] The Herald later reported his absence; he said he had been on a humanitarian mission in Lebanon.[18] He attended the Court meeting of 24 June 2025.[19] Other disputes at the university in this period, over protests, divestment, the eSharp journal and the Muir Houston case, are set out on the Anton Muscatelli page.

The eSharp journal affair

Before his election, the university had been criticised over its handling of a 2017 article in the postgraduate journal eSharp. The Jewish Chronicle reported that a May 2021 editorial apologised for the article and said it promoted an "unfounded antisemitic theory".[20] The editorial now reads "what some would regard as an unfounded theory regarding the State of Israel".[21][22] Writing in The Electronic Intifada in March 2022, David Miller, the author of this page, argued that the university had smeared its own journal as antisemitic. Citing emails released under freedom of information, he reported that the apology followed eleven formal complaints and that five senior managers had approved the wording.[23] Abu-Sittah's manifesto pledge to replace the IHRA definition said the definition "threatens academic criticism of Israel and Palestinian solidarity events".[3]

Entry bans in Europe

On 12 April 2024 Abu-Sittah was refused entry at Berlin airport, where he was due to speak at the Palestine Congress. He said police cited "the safety of the people at the conference and public order".[24] On 4 May 2024 he was refused entry to France at Charles de Gaulle airport, where he was due to speak at a French Senate meeting. He was told Germany had imposed a one-year Schengen-wide entry ban, of which he said he had not known.[25] On 9 May 2024 the Netherlands also refused him entry, citing the German alert.[26]

In May 2024 the Potsdam Administrative Court ruled in urgent proceedings that the entry ban was probably unlawful.[27][28] A Dutch government document records that Germany withdrew the alert on 15 May 2024.[29] In July 2025 the Berlin Administrative Court ruled that a separate ban on his political activity in Germany had been unlawful.[30] On 6 November 2025 Berlin's Higher Administrative Court refused leave to appeal.[31]

General Medical Council case

The General Medical Council brought a misconduct case over an article he wrote for Al Akhbar published on 8 March 2018 and over reposts on X. At a hearing from 6 to 9 January 2026, a Medical Practitioners Tribunal found not proved the allegations that the article and the reposts were supportive of violence or terrorism, or antisemitic.[6][32] On 5 February 2026 a GMC panel decided to appeal the tribunal's decision.[33]

Roles and appointments

Organisation Role From To Source
University of Glasgow Rector 1 April 2024 31 March 2027 (term) [3]
Medical Aid for Palestinians (03038352) Director 5 December 2019 19 October 2023 [34]
Palestine Land Society Ltd (04108560) Director 15 November 2016 26 January 2019 [35]
Palestine Land Society Ltd (04108560) Director 12 November 2020 21 January 2026 [1]
The International Network for Aid, Relief and Assistance Ltd (13830195, dissolved) Director 5 January 2022 [36]
Dima Medical (UK) Ltd (12904134, dissolved) Director 25 September 2020 [37]
American University of Beirut Medical Center Head of plastic and reconstructive surgery 2012 2020 [3]

Notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Companies House, Ghassan Soleiman ABU-SITTAH: appointments Find and update company information, accessed 23 October 2026.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Ghassan Abu-Sittah, About drghassanabusittah.com, accessed 23 October 2026.
  3. ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 University of Glasgow, University of Glasgow Rector MyGlasgow, accessed 23 October 2026.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Associated Press via Voice of America, "Surgeon Gives Testimony to UK War Crimes Unit After Gaza Visit", 10 December 2023.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 University of Glasgow, Rectorial Election Result, 26 March 2024, accessed 23 October 2026.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service, Dr Ghassan ABU-SITTA: record of determinations, 6–9 January 2026 mpts-uk.org, accessed 23 October 2026.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 American University of Beirut, Ghassan S. Abu-Sittah Honorary doctorates, accessed 23 October 2026.
  8. ↑ Action on Armed Violence, AOAV interviews Dr Ghassan Abu-Sitta, Head of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at the American University of Beirut Medical Centre aoav.org.uk, 6 July 2020, accessed 23 October 2026.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 The Independent, 27 November 2023, "Met Police investigating reports of war crimes in Gaza".
  10. ↑ AFP via France 24, 8 January 2024, "UK-Palestinian surgeon fights for 'justice' after Gaza return".
  11. ↑ UK Lawyers for Israel, Glasgow University investigating Dr Ghassan Abu Sitta, candidate for election as Rector uklfi.com, 20 March 2024, accessed 23 October 2026.
  12. ↑ Jewish Chronicle, 20 March 2024, "Glasgow University investigating doctor who praised terrorist" [1].
  13. ↑ Glasgow University Students' Representative Council, New UofG Rector Installed glasgowunisrc.org, accessed 23 October 2026.
  14. ↑ UK Lawyers for Israel, Glasgow University distances itself from new rector Dr Ghassan Abu Sittah uklfi.com, 29 March 2024, accessed 23 October 2026.
  15. ↑ The Tab, 17 April 2024, "Glasgow University distances itself from newly elected rector after Israel/Gaza comments".
  16. ↑ University of Glasgow, Standing Orders for Court gla.ac.uk, accessed 23 October 2026.
  17. ↑ University of Glasgow Court, Court papers, minute of the meeting of 20 November 2024, item CRT/2024/18, accessed 23 October 2026.
  18. ↑ The Herald, 22 March 2025, "Glasgow University Rector skipped crunch talks on divestment".
  19. ↑ University of Glasgow Court, Court papers, 25 September 2025, including the minute of 24 June 2025, accessed 23 October 2026.
  20. ↑ Jewish Chronicle, 14 July 2021, "University apologises over paper that promoted 'antisemitic' theory on Israel".
  21. ↑ eSharp, Editorial, eSharp editorial team May 2021 (amended September 2021), accessed 23 October 2026.
  22. ↑ The Guardian, 10 November 2021, "Glasgow University retreats over 'antisemitic' label for journal article".
  23. ↑ David Miller, How Glasgow University smeared its own journal as anti-Semitic The Electronic Intifada, March 2022, accessed 23 October 2026.
  24. ↑ Associated Press, "Prominent surgeon says he was denied entry to Germany for a pro-Palestinian conference", 12 April 2024.
  25. ↑ The Guardian, 5 May 2024, "Gaza war surgeon feels 'criminalised' after being denied entry to France".
  26. ↑ NL Times, 9 May 2024, "Palestinian-British surgeon Ghassan Abu-Sittah not allowed to enter the Netherlands".
  27. ↑ nd, 16 May 2024, "Verwaltungsgericht Potsdam – Einreiseverweigerung für Ghassan Abu-Sittah war rechtswidrig".
  28. ↑ International Centre of Justice for Palestinians, Travel ban overturned icjpalestine.com, 14 May 2024, accessed 23 October 2026.
  29. ↑ Government of the Netherlands, briefing on parliamentary questions from Piri and Paternotte on Ghassan Abu Sittah's access to the Schengen area open.overheid.nl, accessed 23 October 2026.
  30. ↑ Scottish Legal News, 18 July 2025, "Glasgow University rector's speaking ban in Germany was unlawful".
  31. ↑ International Centre of Justice for Palestinians, Prof Ghassan Abu Sittah prevails in his legal battle against German authorities icjpalestine.com, 10 November 2025, accessed 23 October 2026.
  32. ↑ The Guardian, 9 January 2026, "University of Glasgow rector cleared by medical watchdog over alleged antisemitism".
  33. ↑ General Medical Council, Meeting of the s.40A Panel to consider the case of Dr Ghassan Abu-Sitta, 5 February 2026, accessed 23 October 2026.
  34. ↑ Companies House, Ghassan Soleiman ABU SITTAH: appointments Find and update company information, accessed 23 October 2026.
  35. ↑ Companies House, Ghassan ABU-SITTA: appointments Find and update company information, accessed 23 October 2026.
  36. ↑ Companies House, Ghassan ABU SITTAH: appointments Find and update company information, accessed 23 October 2026.
  37. ↑ Companies House, Ghassan Solieman ABU-SITTAH: appointments Find and update company information, accessed 23 October 2026.
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