Palestinian British Surgeon Blocked From Entering France Due To German Ban

UPDATES WITH ABU-SITTA RETURNING TO LONDON

By Esra Taskin

PARIS (AA) — A famed Palestinian British surgeon who served as a doctor soon after the outbreak of the current war on Hamas said on Saturday he was prevented from entering France due to a German ban on his entry to Europe.

At Paris' Charles de Gaulle Airport, Ghassan Abu-Sitta wrote on X: "They are preventing me from entering France. I am supposed to speak at the French Senate today. They say the Germans put a 1-year ban on my entry to Europe," he said on Saturday.

Abu-Sitta, a critic of the war, argued that while Europe silences witnesses to the "genocide" in Gaza, Israel is killing them in prison.

He was expected to speak at the Senate, the upper house of the French Parliament, at an event on France's responsibility for the implementation of international law in Palestine.

Abu-Sitta, who currently serves as rector of the University of Glasgow, Scotland, went to the region last Oct. 9, after the Israeli attacks on Gaza began and worked there for 43 days.

He was invited to a conference in Berlin in April to talk about his experiences in Gaza, but was blocked from entering the country.

Abu-Sitta returned to London later that evening.

Pro-Palestinian supporters gathered at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris to show support for Abu-Sitta, carrying Palestinian flags and chanting, "We are here for Palestine and the dignity of the slain, even if (French President Emmanuel) Macron doesn't want it."

Arnaud Le Gall, a lawmaker of the France Insoumise (French Unbowed) political party who was among Abu-Sitta's supporters at the airport, said the doctor "is a warrior for peace."

"France should not have obeyed. France should not support such a decision," said Le Gall.

Le Gall stressed that Abu-Sitta committed no crime and has not expressed any sentiment resembling antisemitism or terrorist propaganda.

"Once again, we see an example of censorship on the war in Gaza. This censorship is happening in major European democracies. This is unacceptable," he added.

*Writing by Zehra Nur Duz in Ankara -