The United States has announced sanctions against Francesca Albanese, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian Territories, accusing her of bias, anti-Semitism, and supporting terrorism. The move marks an escalation in Washington’s criticism of the UN over its stance on the war between Israel and Palestine.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio revealed the sanctions on Wednesday, citing what he described as “unlawful and disgraceful efforts” by Albanese to push the International Criminal Court (ICC) to act against officials and companies from the US and Israel. He accused her of trying to influence the ICC to issue an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on charges of war crimes.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio deplanes upon arriving at Subang Air Base, near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on July 10, 2025. Rubio arrived to attend the ASEAN Foreign Ministers? Meeting. (Mandel Ngan/Pool via REUTERS
In an official statement, Rubio criticized Albanese’s work and her recommendations to the ICC, while directly condemning her claims as “baseless and extreme.” He went further, accusing her of sending “threatening letters” to American companies and demanding legal action against their executives. He also described her actions as “shameless anti-Semitism.”
Albanese’s Report on Corporate Involvement in Gaza
Earlier this month, Albanese presented a report to the UN Human Rights Council examining the role of businesses allegedly involved in what she termed Israel’s “colonial project” of displacing Palestinians. The report scrutinized corporate mechanisms that, according to her, supported the replacement of the Palestinian population.
FILE PHOTO: UN Special Rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territories, Francesca Albanese gives a press conference at the UN City in Copenhagen, Denmark February 5, 2025. Ritzau Scanpix/Ida Marie Odgaard via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS – THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. DENMARK OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN DENMARK./File Photo
Back in February, Albanese had criticized a controversial US proposal reportedly backed by President Donald Trump, which envisioned American control over Gaza following the war, and a mass relocation of Palestinians to neighboring countries like Egypt or Jordan. She called the plan “illegal, immoral and irresponsible,” warning it would worsen the regional crisis.
She has repeatedly used the term “genocide” to describe the situation in Gaza.
Israel Applauds US Action, Amnesty International Pushes Back
Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, publicly praised Rubio for the decision, accusing Albanese of leading a “relentless, biased campaign” against both Israel and the US.
Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon speaks during a United Nations Security Council meeting about conflicts in the Middle East at U.N. headquarters in New York City, U.S., June 30, 2025. REUTERS/Kylie Cooper
In contrast, Amnesty International condemned the sanctions, calling them a “shameless and transparent attack on the principles of international justice.” The organization’s secretary general, Agnès Callamard, expressed alarm over what she described as a direct threat to the independence of human rights investigations.
As tensions remain high in the region and international responses grow more polarized, the US sanctions add further complexity to the already contentious global debate over accountability and justice in the Israel-Palestine conflict.