Surgeon Treats War-Wounded Children Amid Escalating Conflict in Lebanon

British-Palestinian surgeon Ghassan Abu-Sittah has been working tirelessly at the American University of Beirut Medical Center, treating children injured in recent Israeli airstrikes across Lebanon. The pediatric intensive care unit has received critical cases from across the country, with parents desperate for their children's survival.

This week, Israeli strikes hit densely populated areas of central Beirut near the hospital, resulting in three severely wounded children being rescued from the rubble. Among them was an 11-year-old girl with metal shrapnel in her abdomen and a partial foot amputation. Dr. Abu-Sittah reported that she is now in stable condition.

The recent escalation began on March 2, when Hezbollah fired rockets into Israel following the killing of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Israeli-US attacks. Lebanese authorities report that 118 children have been killed and 370 others wounded since the conflict intensified.

Dr. Abu-Sittah, a plastic surgeon specializing in conflict injuries, has encountered numerous cases involving partial limb amputations, brain injuries, facial shrapnel wounds, and multiple fractures in children. He emphasized that such injuries require numerous surgeries and extensive care.

Reflecting on his experiences, Dr. Abu-Sittah stated that war is the "endemic disease" of the Middle East. He noted that despite his extensive experience, he never becomes desensitized to the suffering of children, emphasizing that they should never become faceless or mere statistics.

Born in Kuwait to a Palestinian refugee father from Gaza and a Lebanese mother, Dr. Abu-Sittah has dedicated his career to treating wounded civilians in conflict zones, including Gaza, Lebanon, Iraq, and Yemen. He first experienced conflict as a medical student in 1991 during the Gulf War and has since worked in various war-torn regions.

In 2024, Dr. Abu-Sittah established the Ghassan Abu-Sittah Children's Fund to provide medical care and ongoing support to wounded children in Gaza and Lebanon. He highlighted the case of a four-year-old boy who lost his parents and three siblings and now requires long-term physical and psychological support after suffering a head wound and an amputated foot. Dr. Abu-Sittah expressed concern about the future care of such children, especially those from impoverished backgrounds lacking the means to manage their recovery.