Latest news with #GhassanAbu-Sittah
The National
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The National
Glasgow Film Theatre decides to not endorse Israel boycott movement
Glasgow Film announced on Thursday that it wouldn't fully endorse either the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement or the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI). The cinema said this was in order to retain 'independent decision making' and uphold its 'commitment to Cinema For All'. READ MORE: John Swinney urged to intervene and scrap Flamingo Land plans at fiery FMQs It comes after a boycott by the GFT's front-of-house and cleaning teams on handling any goods connected to the BDS movement led to Coca-Cola products no longer being served. Art Workers for Palestine Scotland then published an open letter to the GFT calling for the cinema to adhere to the (BDS) movement and endorse PACBI. The letter was signed by more than 1400 and included the likes of Ghassan Abu-Sittah, rector of the University of Glasgow and filmmaker Ken Loach. But Glasgow Film has decided to not formally endorse the movement. 'The Board of Trustees at Glasgow Film recognise the horrific humanitarian crisis in Gaza and are appalled by the ongoing loss of Palestinian lives,' a statement read. 'We understand the depth and diversity of feeling within our staff, audiences, and wider communities, and we acknowledge the calls from artists and activists for cultural and consumer boycotts in solidarity with Palestinians. 'We also recognise the rising levels of antisemitism, Islamophobia and polarisation in our communities and condemn any kind of racism or discrimination.' (Image: PA) The statement added: 'As an independent charity, trustees are legally required to act in the best interests of the charity, and in line with its charitable objects which are, for Glasgow Film, principally to educate the public about film. To meet this obligation, we believe that all decisions, including those relating to ethical purchasing and programming, should be taken independently, and on a case-by-case basis, informed by robust internal policies and processes.' They announced a review and refresh 'in consultation with staff' on their ethical policies and 'assess any connections to human rights abuses' and claimed a review of products in the cinema's bar has already started. The board also said it would continue to platform global filmmakers including Palestinian artists. 'Following a period of careful reflection, legal advice, and consultation with staff and community stakeholders, we consider the above approach to be in line with our legal duties as charity trustees and in the best interests of the charity, as opposed to formal and wholesale endorsement of BDS or PACBI,' the statement went on.
Glasgow Times
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Glasgow Times
Glasgow Film Theatre decides to not endorse Israel boycott movement
Glasgow Film announced on Thursday that it wouldn't fully endorse either the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement or the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI). The cinema said this was in order to retain 'independent decision making' and uphold its 'commitment to Cinema For All'. It comes after a boycott by the GFT's front-of-house and cleaning teams on handling any goods connected to the BDS movement led to Coca-Cola products no longer being served. Art Workers for Palestine Scotland then published an open letter to the GFT calling for the cinema to adhere to the (BDS) movement and endorse PACBI. The letter was signed by more than 1400 and included the likes of Ghassan Abu-Sittah, rector of the University of Glasgow and filmmaker Ken Loach. But Glasgow Film has decided to not formally endorse the movement. 'The Board of Trustees at Glasgow Film recognise the horrific humanitarian crisis in Gaza and are appalled by the ongoing loss of Palestinian lives,' a statement read. 'We understand the depth and diversity of feeling within our staff, audiences, and wider communities, and we acknowledge the calls from artists and activists for cultural and consumer boycotts in solidarity with Palestinians. 'We also recognise the rising levels of anti-semitism, Islamophobia and polarisation in our communities and condemn any kind of racism or discrimination.' (Image: PA) The statement added: 'As an independent charity, trustees are legally required to act in the best interests of the charity, and in line with its charitable objects which are, for Glasgow Film, principally to educate the public about film. To meet this obligation, we believe that all decisions, including those relating to ethical purchasing and programming, should be taken independently, and on a case-by-case basis, informed by robust internal policies and processes.' They announced a review and refresh 'in consultation with staff' on their ethical policies and 'assess any connections to human rights abuses' and claimed a review of products in the cinema's bar has already started. The board also said it would continue to platform global filmmakers including Palestinian artists. 'Following a period of careful reflection, legal advice, and consultation with staff and community stakeholders, we consider the above approach to be in line with our legal duties as charity trustees and in the best interests of the charity, as opposed to formal and wholesale endorsement of BDS or PACBI,' the statement went on.
The National
23-05-2025
- Politics
- The National
'Statements' won't stop UK complicity in Israel's violence in Gaza
Glasgow University's rector, Palestinian surgeon Ghassan Abu-Sittah, and independent MP Jeremy Corbyn both accused the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary of being 'complicit in the mass murder of Palestinians' after the UK Government sent the plane to surveil Gaza just hours after David Lammy described Israel's actions in the region as 'monstrous'. Shortly after Lammy made the statement calling out Israel for stopping aid entering Gaza and for its ongoing bombardment of Palestinians, The National reported on how the UK Government sent a Shadow R1 spy plane – coded RFR7144 – from the Cyprus base RAF Akrotiri to monitor Gaza. The RAF describes Shadow R1 planes as being capable of 'comprehensive intelligence gathering' that is 'particularly valuable to ground commanders'. Lammy also said that the UK Government would continue to supply F-35 parts to Israel following the announcement that Labour had ended talks towards a free trade deal with the country. Corbyn told The National: 'The Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary can make as many statements regretting Israel's offensive as they like. 'Until this government ends its military co-operation with Israel, it remains complicit in the mass murder of Palestinians. "What more is there to say?' Meanwhile Abu-Sittah, a world-leading expert on war-injured patients and children, condemned Labour for increasing the export of weapons in the latter months of 2024. The National reported last week that in the last quarter of 2024, the Labour Government exported more weapons to Israel than the Tories did from 2020-2023. READ MORE: BBC bins complaint over host's claim 'it's understandable Israel rounds people up' The total was more than the Tories had licensed for export to Israel between 2020-2023 combined, but Lammy dismissed the figures in a report by The National as 'clickbait'. 'The UK Government is a willing and eager partner in the genocide,' he said. 'The Labour Party increased its contribution of arms to genocide so that more starving Palestinian children are slaughtered by UK manufactured weapons.' Earlier this week, the Labour administration said information gathered by the British spy plane would only be shared if it was deemed relevant to securing the release of hostages held by Hamas within the Gaza Strip. On Wednesday, Starmer responded to SNP MP Kirsty Blackman on why Labour are sending fighter jet parts to Israel by saying that they could not block the exports without jeopardising UK military operations elsewhere. The UK Government has been approached for comment.
The Guardian
22-02-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
Long-term effects of Gaza war could quadruple Palestinian death toll, warn UK doctors
British doctors who worked in Gaza during the war have issued dire predictions over the long-term health of Palestinian civillians, warning that large numbers will continue to die. The prevalence of infectious disease and multiple health problems linked to malnutrition, alongside the destruction of hospitals and killing of medical experts, meant mortality rates among Palestinians in Gaza would remain high after the cessation of Israeli shelling. British-Palestinian reconstructive surgeon, Prof Ghassan Abu-Sittah, who worked in al-Shifa and al-Ahli Arab hospitals in Gaza City shortly after the war began, said levels of malnutrition there were so acute that many children would 'never recover'. Scientists have estimated that the total deaths from Israel's war on Gaza could ultimately be as high as 186,000. The figure is almost four times higher than the 46,700 deaths that Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry have reported. Prof Nizam Mamode, a retired British transplant surgeon from Hampshire who last year worked at Nasser hospital in southern Gaza said the number of 'non-trauma deaths' could ultimately be considerably higher than 186,000. One factor, he said, was the targeting of healthcare workers during the war. He said that of six vascular surgeons who once covered the north of the strip, just one had remained. There were no cancer pathologists left alive. Abu-Sittah said entire teams of medical specialists had been eradicated from Gaza, and the training required to replace them would take up to 10 years. 'Certain specialities have been eviscerated,' he said. 'There are no more nephrologists [a doctor specialising in kidney care] left. They've all been killed. There are no more board-certified emergency medicine physicians.' The 55-year-old plastic surgeon from London said the long-term health of people in Gaza depended on how quickly the territory and its infrastructure were rebuilt. Last week, thousands of Palestinians began returning to northern Gaza to scenes of utter destruction after the withdrawal of Israeli troops from a strategic corridor that divides the north and south of Gaza. 'But to get doctors to move back to the north, you need to house them. Where are they going to live? Where are their families going to live?' said Abu-Sittah. He said irreversible damage had already been done to large numbers of children. 'Studies on people who survived the second world war showed they are more likely to get NCDs [non-communicable diseases] if they had malnutrition as children. They're also more likely to become diabetics, more likely to have hypertension, more likely to have diabetes in old age. You don't recover.' Last month, the UN estimated that more than 60,000 children in Gaza would need treatment for acute malnutrition in 2025. Some had already died, said the organisation. Another concern is the spread of disease, helped by the destruction of infrastructure such as sewage facilities. Abu-Sittahhas provided evidence to Scotland Yard and the international criminal court over what he witnessed working in Gaza. He described the prevalence of disease there as a catastrophe. 'Hepatitis, diarrhoeal disease, respiratory disease, polio that re-emerged in the war, will all continue because there's still no sewerage and clean drinking water, still no housing, no primary-care clinics. You're not going to be able to stop, or even stem, infectious diseases.' Sign up to Global Dispatch Get a different world view with a roundup of the best news, features and pictures, curated by our global development team after newsletter promotion He warned of the proliferation of drug-resistant bacteria, recounting an instance when six out of seven consecutive patients he saw had 'multiple drug-resistant bacteria'. In addition to the long-term impacts, he said 13,000 Gazans required immediate surgical interventions from war wounds. 'The sheer number of complex injuries that need treatment means that it's going to consume the health system for a generation,' he said. Both doctors said the brutality and number of injuries they witnessed while working in Gaza was hard to overstate. Mamode, who gave evidence to MPs on the British parliament's international development select committee inquiry into Gaza's healthcare, said up to 70% of those he operated on were children. 'You'd have a three-year-old in intensive care for a week and we'd be told, 'The parents are killed, the siblings are killed. Wait and see whether anyone is going to turn up for them.' That was quite common.' Abu-Sittah said that half of his patients were children and that despite working in numerous conflict zones including Iraq, Lebanon, Syria and Yemen, he had never performed as many amputations each day as he had in Gaza. Mamode, a former clinical lead of transplant surgery at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust in London, warned that another vital long-term health issue was the psychological scarring on a population after 15 months of fighting. 'In the coming months, those issues will start to come to the fore, because people have just been focusing on day-to-day survival. When that pressure comes off [the psychological impacts] are going to manifest themselves in all sorts of ways.' A spokesperson for the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) said it had been 'well documented that Hamas uses hospitals and medical centres for its terror activities'. They added: 'If not stopped, under certain conditions, this illegal military use can make the hospital lose its protection from attack.'
