US issues sanctions vs UN investigator over Gaza probe
UNITED NATIONS—The Trump administration announced on Wednesday that it is issuing sanctions against an independent investigator tasked with probing human rights abuses in the Palestinian territories, the latest effort by the United States to punish critics of Israel’s 21-month war in Gaza.
The Department of State’s decision to impose sanctions on Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur for the West Bank and Gaza, follows an unsuccessful US pressure campaign to force the international body to remove her from her post. It also comes as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is visiting Washington this week to meet with President Donald Trump and other officials about the war in Gaza and more.
It’s unclear what the practical impact the sanctions will have and whether the independent investigator will be able to travel to the United States with diplomatic paperwork.
‘Genocide’
Albanese, an Italian human rights lawyer, has been vocal about what she has described as the “genocide” by Israel against Palestinians in Gaza. Both Israel and the United States, which provides military support to its close ally, have strongly denied that accusation.
The United States had not previously addressed concerns with Albanese head-on because it has not participated in either of the two Human Rights Council sessions this year, including the summer session that ended on Tuesday. This is because the Trump administration withdrew the United States earlier this year.
In recent weeks, Albanese has issued a series of letters urging other countries to pressure Israel, including through sanctions, to end its deadly bombardment of the Gaza Strip.
She has also been a strong supporter of the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) arrest warrants against Israeli officials, including Netanyahu, for allegations of war crimes. She most recently issued a report naming several large US companies as among those aiding what she described as Israel’s occupation and war on Gaza.
‘Silencing’
“Albanese’s campaign of political and economic warfare against the United States and Israel will no longer be tolerated,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio posted on social media. “We will always stand by our partners in their right to self-defense.”
Liz Evenson, international justice director at Human Rights Watch, said the US government’s decision to sanction Albanese for seeking justice through the ICC “is actually 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 United States is working to dismantle the norms and institutions on which survivors of grave abuses rely,” Evenson said in a statement.
