How Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah Defeated Germany’s Travel Ban
Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah, the Palestinian-British surgeon known for his frontline work in Gaza, has spoken out about how he successfully overturned a travel ban imposed by Germany — a ban he says was driven by political pressure rather than any legal basis.
In an exclusive interview with Al-Arab in UK (AUK), conducted on 20 July, Abu-Sittah shared his account of being blocked from entering Germany and other Schengen countries, as well as his broader concerns about the silencing of pro-Palestinian voices across Europe.
Who is Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah?
Dr Abu-Sittah is a reconstructive surgeon with decades of experience operating in conflict zones, most notably Gaza. Often called a “war surgeon”, he has treated victims of Israeli airstrikes for years at hospitals like Al-Shifa and Al-Maqasid.
He’s not only known for his medical expertise, but also for his outspoken advocacy — writing and speaking internationally about the suffering of Palestinians, particularly children and medics. That visibility, he says, has made him a target for censorship and political retaliation.
Dr Abu-Sittah explained that the German ban had nothing to do with security concerns, but was the result of pressure from pro-Israel lobby groups. He was due to speak at a medical conference in Berlin focused on healthcare in conflict zones — not a political protest.
“I arrived at Berlin Airport and was immediately stopped. I was told I’d been banned from entering Germany for a year,” he said.
The ban wasn’t limited to Germany. The government had asked other Schengen states — including France, the Netherlands and Sweden — to deny him entry as well.
“Germany has become the second-largest supplier of weapons to Israel after the US,” he noted. “It has increased its military exports tenfold since the war began, while cracking down on critics at home.”
“What’s Happening in Gaza is a Man-Made Famine”
Dr Abu-Sittah didn’t shy away from strong words. “This is a manufactured famine,” he said. “It’s part of what can only be described as a genocidal endgame — the complete erasure of Gaza’s population.”
He condemned what he described as “shocking international complicity” — and was particularly scathing of Arab governments, saying they had gone beyond silence to active betrayal.
A Legal Win in Berlin
Working with the European Legal Support Centre, Dr Abu-Sittah was able to challenge the ban in court. After six weeks, a Berlin judge ruled that the entry restriction was unlawful.
Germany had invoked a rarely used regulation originally intended to block football hooligans from crossing borders. “They exploited a loophole to avoid judicial oversight,” he said.
This wasn’t the only attempt to silence him. The pro-Israel group UK Lawyers for Israel filed complaints against him to the University of Glasgow, the General Medical Council, and UK charity regulators — trying to strip him of his medical licence and charity affiliations.
“This is about draining people emotionally and financially. It’s about silencing witnesses to genocide,” he said.
Gaza’s Healthcare Workers Are Starving
Dr Abu-Sittah painted a grim picture of Gaza’s healthcare system. “Some of my colleagues have lost over 30 kilos. They’re still working, treating patients, while literally starving.”
He added that malnourished patients are struggling to recover, and even minor wounds aren’t healing properly. “This isn’t just a health crisis — it’s a collapse.”
He revealed that over 130 Palestinian healthcare workers are currently in Israeli detention, including Dr Hossam Abu Safieh, who is reportedly being beaten and deprived of food.
He criticised the silence of global medical bodies, singling out the British Medical Association as one of the few to speak out. He called for Israel to be expelled from the World Medical Association and for sanctions to be imposed on its health sector.
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