Germany detains Gaza surgeon Ghassan Abu Sittah and 'refuses him entry'
British-Palestinian medic spent weeks in Gaza treating victims of Israeli attacks and raising awareness about suffering there
Abu Sittah is pictured during an interview in January, 2024 (AFP/Henry Nicholls)
Published date: 12 April 2024
Abu Sittah was due to speak at a Palestinian conference in Berlin on Friday.
The surgeon said he had been invited to the conference to speak "about my work in Gaza hospitals".
"The German government has forcibly prevented me from entering the country," he posted on X.
Middle East Eye has asked the German foreign ministry and Abu Sittah for comment.
Since leaving Gaza in late November, the doctor has been raising
awareness about the impact of Israel's war, which has killed more than
33,000 Palestinians.
In the initial weeks after Israel began its assault, Abu Sittah was
the unofficial English-language representative of Palestinian doctors
and surgeons treating Palestinians wounded by Israeli attacks.
He accused the Israeli military of using white phosphorus, which is
illegal in built-up and populated areas like Gaza, and deliberately
targeting children.
In an interview with MEE after he left Gaza, Abu Sittah said medics
were using household items to treat patients because of an
Israeli-imposed blockade on medical equipment entering the enclave.
"Eventually, everything was running out. Initially, we replaced the
antiseptic solution with washing-up liquid and vinegar,” Abu Sitta said.
"Then it ended up being morphine and having to do procedures without any anaesthetic. The situation was medieval-like.”
German censorship
Berlin has been a key supplier of armaments to Israel in its war on Gaza and has also been one of its main advocates.
Germany is currently subject to an International Court of Justic
(ICJ) case filed by Nicaragua, which accuses it of “facilitating”
Israeli genocide in Gaza. The ICJ is also considering a case filed by
South Africa accusing Israel of genocide.
Abu Sittah on Friday said Germany was "silencing a witness to
genocide before the ICJ", which he said, "adds to Germany's complicity
in the ongoing massacre".
Since the start of the war six months ago, Germany has justified its
support for Israel by claiming it has a special duty to protect it
because of the legacy of the Holocaust, in which the Nazis killed six
million Jews.
Ghassan Abu Sittah: ‘This is what I saw in Gaza’ (Part 1) | Real Talk
Read More »
In October, Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz said: "Israel’s security is part of Germany’s raison d’état."
At home, the German government has stifled expressions of solidarity with the plight of Palestinians.
Funding has been withdrawn from cultural institutions that express
sympathy for the victims of Israel’s assault in Gaza and there have been
restrictions placed on public demonstrations of support.
Some local officials within the state have demanded foreigners
seeking naturalisation recognise the legitimacy of the Israeli state
before being granted citizenship.
In March, Berliner Sparkasse Bank, a state-owned bank, froze the
accounts of Jewish Voice, a Jewish group advocating for the rights of
Palestinians, and demanded the organisation hand over its membership
lists.
"In 2024, Jewish money is once again being confiscated by a German
bank: Berliner Sparkasse," Jewish Voice said in a statement on its
social media platforms.