SRINAGAR: The United States has announced sanctions against Francesca Albanese, the United Nations special rapporteur investigating human rights abuses in the West Bank and Gaza, in a move widely seen as an attempt to silence criticism of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza.
The US State Department’s decision, revealed on Wednesday, follows months of pressure on the UN to remove Albanese from her post. The sanctions come as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visits Washington for talks with President Donald Trump on the Gaza conflict and related issues, reports Deccan Chronicle.
Albanese, an Italian human rights lawyer, has been outspoken in her condemnation of what she describes as “genocide” committed by Israel against Palestinians in Gaza—a claim strongly denied by both Israel and the US. The Deccan Chronicle report reads that the practical impact of the sanctions remains unclear, particularly regarding Albanese’s ability to travel to the US or engage with American institutions.
A Business Standard report quoted US Secretary of State Marco Rubio saying that Albanese’s “campaign of political and economic warfare against the United States and Israel will no longer be tolerated,” and reaffirmed US support for Israel’s right to self-defence. The US administration cited Albanese’s advocacy for International Criminal Court (ICC) action against Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Netanyahu, as a key reason for the sanctions.
Israel’s ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, praised the move, claiming Albanese’s actions had “crossed the line from human rights advocacy into political warfare,” the Deccan Chronicle report read.
Albanese has recently published reports urging sanctions on Israel and criticising international corporations—many US-based—for allegedly profiting from the Gaza conflict. She has also been a vocal supporter of ICC arrest warrants against Israeli leaders for alleged war crimes, Al Jazeera reported.
Human rights organisations have condemned the US decision. Liz Evenson, international justice director at Human Rights Watch, said the move is “all about silencing a UN expert for doing her job—speaking truth about Israeli violations against Palestinians and calling on governments and corporations not to be complicit”.
The war between Israel and Hamas began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas militants launched a deadly attack on Israel, resulting in about 1,200 deaths and the abduction of 251 people. Israel’s subsequent military campaign in Gaza has killed more than 57,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, with women and children comprising the majority of the casualties
