Prominent Palestinian-British doctor and activist Ghassan Abu Sittah has criticised plans by medical watchdogs to appeal a tribunal ruling that cleared him of antisemitism allegations.
In a statement published by the Daily Record on Sunday, Abu Sittah described the move as "a tool of political repression in the service of Israel’s genocidal project".
He previously successfully defended the case brought against him before the General Medical Council (GMC) tribunal by the pro-Israel legal group UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI).
Earlier this week on Friday, the University of Glasgow rector confirmed he had been cleared of misconduct related to allegations of antisemitism and support for Hamas - one of several complaints filed against him by the GMC.
Following the GMC’s decision to pursue an appeal, Abu Sittah said it "will be the third legal action the GMC has brought against me".
"I’m certain it is the result of political pressure from this Labour Government," he added.
The surgeon and Palestinian rights advocate had been accused of supporting Hamas through an article he was alleged to have written in a Lebanese newspaper, as well as through social media posts.
Abu Sittah has maintained that the complaints were politically motivated, that he was not the author of several of the posts attributed to him, and that Arabic-language content cited in the case had been inaccurately translated.
The International Centre of Justice for Palestinians (ICJP) also criticised the GMC's decision, describing it as a "campaign of legal harassment" that "has continued for years, putting mental and financial strain on Dr Abu Sittah".
Abu Sittah rose to international prominence for his humanitarian medical work during Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, which began in October 2023.
He has since become one of the most outspoken Palestinian voices in the medical field, speaking publicly about his experiences working at Gaza’s al-Ahli, al-Shifa and al-Awda hospitals.
During the conflict, he spent 43 days in the Gaza Strip and carried out dozens of surgeries on critically injured civilians.