Prominent Pales-tinian reconstructive surgeon and academic Dr Ghassan Abu Sittah has won a misconduct case brought against him by pro-Israel lobbyists, a decision campaigners say deals a serious blow to the use of lawfare to silence critics of Israel’s war on Ga-za. On Friday, the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service dismissed a two-year General Medical Council case, finding no evidence that Abu Sittah’s writing or social media activity supported terrorism, antisemitism, or violence.

The case originated from complaints filed in 2023 by UK Lawyers for Israel, focusing on an article Abu Sittah wrote in the Lebanese newspaper Al Akhbar and two reposts on X. The tribunal ruled that an ordinary reader would not interpret the material as endorsing violence or providing moral or material support for terrorism, and found no intent to promote hatred, leaving no basis for a misconduct finding. Abu Sittah described the case as part of a broader strategy to intimidate and exhaust pro-Pales-tinian voices, stressing that he has never supported violence against civilians.

Abu Sittah, a Kuwait-born British Pales-tinian surgeon and rector of the University of Glasgow, spent 43 days in Ga-za during Israel’s initial assault in October 2023, working in several hospitals and publicly recounting the civilian casualties he treated. The case was backed by the International Centre of Justice for Pales-tinians, whose director called the ruling a complete vindication. The decision comes amid growing scrutiny of UK Lawyers for Israel, with multiple organisations filing complaints alleging abusive legal tactics, and follows other recent court setbacks for pro-Israel groups attempting to suppress dissent in the UK.