BEIRUT, (PIC)
The Palestinian surgeon Ghassan Abu Sitta races against time inside operating rooms in Beirut, in an attempt to save children whose bodies were torn apart by Israeli airstrikes, as the scope of the war in Lebanon has expanded over the past three weeks, and the number of victims has risen, especially among children.
In the pediatric intensive care unit at the American University Medical Center in Beirut, critical cases continue to arrive from different areas, while families stand outside between anxiety and hope, awaiting the fate of their children.
During a short break between two surgical operations that followed an airstrike targeting the heart of the capital, Abu Sitta recounts the details of one case, “An 11 year old girl was injured by shrapnel in the abdomen and part of her foot was amputated, but her condition is now stable,” he says, before returning to his work.
These scenes come amid the expansion of the war waged by the United States and Israel on Iran to include Lebanon since March 2, following the launch of rockets by Hezbollah at Israel in response to the assassination of the Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, while Israel responds with intensive airstrikes and ground incursions in the south.
According to the Lebanese Ministry of Health, the number of those who were martyred since the start of the war has exceeded 1,000 people, including at least 118 children, while about 370 children were injured with varying degrees of injuries. #شاهد
الدكتور غسان أبو ستة، الجراح البريطاني المعروف ورئيس جامعة غلاسكو: "أُخذ الدكتور أبو صفية إلى نفس المعتقل الذي عُذب فيه قبله الدكتور عدنان البُرش حتى الموت والذي عُذب فيه الدكتور إياد الرنتيسي حتى الموت. التعذيب هناك لا يقوم به حراس فقط، بل أطباء أيضا.. إسرائيل بصدد تصفية… pic.twitter.com/R8yuaMTjxY — المركز الفلسطيني للإعلام (@PalinfoAr) January 3, 2025 Adapting to children’s suffering is impossible
Inside the operating rooms, Abu Sitta daily faces a wide spectrum of injuries, from torn limbs and head injuries, to shrapnel in the eyes and faces, fractures, and damaged tissues. He says, “Sometimes we see all these injuries in the body of one child, which means a long series of surgical operations.”
He recounts the case of three sisters who arrived at the hospital two weeks ago, describing their injuries as “extremely critical,” explaining that he had to take them into the operating room every 48 hours to remove dead tissue and clean the wounds, in preparation for later reconstructive operations.
Despite his long experience in conflict zones, Abu Sitta confirms that “adapting to children’s suffering is impossible,” adding, “A child should not turn into a number in the toll of victims.”
The doctor’s journey with wars began during the Gulf War in 1991, when he was a medical student, before later working in Gaza during the First Intifada, then in southern Lebanon, Iraq, and Yemen, while maintaining his commitment to return to Gaza in every round of war. الطبيب الفلسطيني غسان أبو ستة يفحم مذيعة سكاي نيوز بالرد على سؤالها:
هل ندم الفلسطينيون على اقتحامهم الحدود في السابع من أكتوبر؟ pic.twitter.com/10Nq27wOzY — Khaled Safi خالد صافي (@KhaledSafi) January 23, 2025 A mini version of Gaza
During the Israeli war of genocide on Gaza, Abu Sitta survived a bombing that targeted one of the hospitals, where he spent 43 days in the Strip. Today he compares what happened there with what is happening in Lebanon, saying that the latter appears to be “a mini version of Gaza,” although the number of victims is still lower.
On the other hand, the healthcare infrastructure in Lebanon has not been spared from targeting, as Abu Sitta points to 4 hospitals going out of service, including a center that includes a pediatric intensive care unit, as a result of bombing or evacuation.
He adds that targeting ambulances makes transporting the injured, especially children, between areas extremely dangerous, and is often limited to daylight hours, which exacerbates medical challenges.
The Ministry of Health confirmed the martyrdom of 40 workers in the health sector and the injury of 119 others, in addition to the closure of 5 hospitals since the start of the war.
In an attempt to address long term effects, Abu Sitta launched in 2024 the “Ghassan Abu Sitta Children’s Fund,” to provide medical and psychological care for children from Gaza and Lebanon, even after they leave the hospital.
He recounts the story of a four-year-old child who lost his parents and his three siblings in the early days of the war, his leg was amputated and he suffered a head injury, saying that such cases require long term follow up, asking, “Who will take care of them after they return?”
Abu Sitta concludes by saying that the repercussions of the war are not limited to physical injuries, but extend to the destruction of the entire family structure, “It is not only the body that is destroyed, but the entire family.”