Abu-Sittah, Ghassan Soleiman

Ghassan Soleiman Abu-Sittah (Arabic: غسان أبو ستة; born 1969 in Kuwait) is a British-Palestinian plastic and reconstructive surgeon who specialises in craniofacial surgery, aesthetic surgery, cleft lip and palate surgery, and trauma-related injuries. Since April 2024 he has served as Rector of the University of Glasgow. He is known for providing medical assistance as a surgeon in twelve crisis and conflict areas, like in Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen, where he supported local clinics and doctors, particularly in the Gaza Strip. He first visited the Gaza Strip as a medical student during the First Intifada in 1989, and was a member of Medical Aid for Palestinians during the Second Intifada starting 2000. He also travelled to the Gaza Strip during the 2008–2009 war, the 2012 operation, the 2014 war, and the 2018 Great March of Return. Abu-Sittah returned to the Gaza Strip after the start of the Gaza war in 2023, where he provided medical assistance with Doctors Without Borders out of the Al-Shifa Hospital. He has spoken to news outlets and participated in press conferences discussing his experiences. In January 2024, he travelled to The Hague to meet with International Criminal Court (ICC) investigators. Germany subsequently attempted to ban him from entering the Schengen Area, but the ban was overturned in court.