"US sanctions on UN's Gaza investigator Albanese signal 'guilt,' she says"

UN Expert Responds to US Sanctions Over Gaza Criticism

Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur for the West Bank and Gaza, has responded to reports of her impending sanctions by the US with a social media post stating, “Punishing those who speak for the vulnerable is not strength, but an admission of guilt.”

On Wednesday, the US State Department imposed sanctions on Albanese, an independent official who examines human rights violations in Palestinian territories, as part of its actions against critics of Israel’s prolonged military campaign in Gaza.

In subsequent posts, Albanese urged solidarity, writing, “We must stand firm together,” and called for continued global attention on Gaza’s dire situation. “The world must not look away as children starve in their mothers’ arms while others are killed in strikes while searching for food,” she said.

In an interview, she remarked, “I must have struck a nerve. People are dying in Gaza even as we speak, yet the UN remains powerless to act.”

Albanese, a legal expert in human rights, has repeatedly said Israel’s bombardment of Gaza amounts to “genocide”—a claim Israel and the US, its military backer, firmly reject.

Israel faces charges of genocide at the International Court of Justice and allegations of war crimes at the International Criminal Court (ICC) over its military offensive in Gaza.

A spokesperson for UN Secretary-General António Guterres stated that sanctions against Albanese set a concerning precedent, emphasizing that special rapporteurs operate independently and are not under Guterres’ authority.

Jürg Lauber, president of the UN Human Rights Council, expressed regret over the US decision and urged all member states to “fully cooperate with special rapporteurs and avoid any intimidation or retaliation.”

UN human rights chief Volker Türk also called for an end to threats against UN-appointed officials and ICC representatives, some of whom have faced US sanctions.

Albanese has recently pressed multiple nations to pressure Israel through measures like sanctions to halt its attacks on Gaza. She has supported the ICC’s case against Israeli leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, for alleged war crimes. Her latest report listed several US companies as contributors to what she called Israel’s occupation and military actions in Gaza.

In response, a senior US official stated on social media, “Albanese’s political and economic campaign against the US and Israel will not be allowed to continue. We stand with our allies in their right to defend themselves.”