A British surgeon who testified about Israel’s war on Gaza after operating during the conflict said he felt criminalised after being refused entry to France at the weekend, The Guardian reports.
Prof Ghassan Abu-Sitta, a plastic and reconstructive surgeon, was due to speak about the war to the upper house of the French parliament on Saturday. However, after arriving at Charles de Gaulle airport north of Paris on a morning flight from London, French authorities informed him that Germany had enforced an all-Schengen ban on his entry to Europe.
Abu-Sitta said he was unaware that German authorities, who had previously refused him entry to Berlin in April, had imposed an administrative visa ban on him for a year, meaning he was barred from entering any Schengen country. Abu-Sitta said on Sunday:
“What I find most difficult to accept is this complete criminalisation.”
He added that he was previously told by authorities he would be unable to enter Germany for the month of April. Abu-Sitta said:
“I was put in a holding cell and marched in front of people at Charles de Gaulle with armed guards and then handed over to the staff in the plane, all so that I’m unable to give evidence.”
Instead of attending a conference in the French Senate to speak about Gaza, at the invitation of Green Party parliamentarians, Abu-Sitta was stripped of his possessions and taken to a pre-trial detention centre. He was able to attend the conference via video link on his lawyer’s phone from the detention centre before being deported to the UK. He added:
“It was critical for me that we do this, that they’re unable to silence us.”
In October and November 2023, at the start of Israel’s war on Gaza, which has since killed more than 34,000 Palestinians, Abu-Sitta operated in Al-Shifa and Al-Ahli hospitals. For 43 days, he described witnessing the “unfolding violence” in Gaza and the use of white phosphorus munitions, which Israel denies.
Abu-Sitta has since provided evidence to Scotland Yard and the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague. He intends to challenge his entry ban in the German courts and is considering appealing to the European Court of Human Rights.
The incident comes after diplomats from G7 countries urged ICC officials not to bring war crimes charges against Israel or Hamas officials amid fears such a move could undermine chances of a breakthrough in ceasefire talks.
Germany, which is considered the second-largest arms exporter to Israel after the US, is facing a domestic legal battle over arms sales to Israel. Last week, an international court (ICJ) rejected Nicaragua’s request for emergency orders for Germany to stop selling arms to Israel, but refused to dismiss the case entirely.
Yanis Varoufakis, former Greek finance minister and leader of the leftist MEPA25 party, commented on this situation on X:
“Banning an eyewitness from testifying before the French Senate, thus protecting Israel’s right to commit genocide with impunity, is a new low for the EU. The impression is that the EU authorities are doing everything they can to justify Brexiteers. Unprecedented stupidity in action!”
Earlier, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu posted on X that “Israel will never accept any attempt by the ICC to undermine its inherent right of self-defense… While the ICC will not affect Israel’s actions, it would set a dangerous precedent that threatens the soldiers and officials of all democracies fighting savage terrorism and wanton aggression.”
White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters last week:
“We’ve been really clear about the ICC investigation — we do not support it. We don’t believe that they have the jurisdiction.”
Last month, members of the US Congress from both parties warned the ICC that Washington would retaliate if the court issued arrest warrants for senior Israeli officials.
