SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina — An impartial U.N. investigator and outspoken critic of Israel’s actions in Gaza mentioned Thursday that “it was surprising” to be taught that the Trump administration had imposed sanctions on her however defiantly stood by her view on the conflict.
Francesca Albanese mentioned in an interview with The Related Press that the highly effective had been attempting to silence her for defending these with none energy of their very own, “apart from standing and hoping to not die, to not see their kids slaughtered.”
“This isn’t an indication of energy, it’s an indication of guilt,” the Italian human rights lawyer mentioned.
The State Division’s choice to impose sanctions on Albanese, the U.N. particular rapporteur for the West Financial institution and Gaza, adopted an unsuccessful U.S. stress marketing campaign to pressure the Geneva-based Human Rights Council, the U.N.’s prime human rights physique, to take away her from her publish.
She is tasked with probing human rights abuses within the Palestinian territories and has been vocal about what she has described because the “genocide” by Israel towards Palestinians in Gaza. Each Israel and the U.S. have strongly denied that accusation.
“Albanese’s marketing campaign of political and financial warfare towards the US and Israel will not be tolerated,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio posted on social media. “We are going to at all times stand by our companions of their proper to self-defense.”
The U.S. introduced the sanctions Wednesday as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was visiting Washington to satisfy with President Donald Trump and different officers about reaching a ceasefire deal within the conflict in Gaza. Netanyahu faces an arrest warrant from the Worldwide Legal Courtroom, which accuses him of crimes towards humanity in his army offensive in Gaza.
U.N. Particular Rapporteur for the Occupied Palestinian Territories Francesca Albanese talks to The Related Press on the Sarajevo airport in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Thursday, July 10, 2025, on her solution to occasions commemorating the thirtieth anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide. Credit score: AP/Darko Bandic
Within the interview, Albanese accused American officers of receiving Netanyahu with honor and standing side-by-side with somebody needed by the ICC, a court docket that neither the U.S. nor Israel is a member of or acknowledges. Trump imposed sanctions on the court docket in February.
“We have to reverse the tide, and to ensure that it to occur — we have to stand united,” she mentioned. “They can’t silence us all. They can’t kill us all. They can’t fireplace us all.”
Albanese confused that the one solution to win is to do away with worry and to face up for the Palestinians and their proper to an impartial state.
The Trump administration’s stand “just isn’t regular,” she mentioned on the Sarajevo airport. She additionally defiantly repeated, “Nobody is free till Palestine is free.”
Kin of hostages held by Hamas within the Gaza Strip and their supporters name for a right away hostage launch deal throughout a protest in Tel Aviv, Israel, Thursday, July 10, 2025. Credit score: AP/Ariel Schalit
Albanese was en path to Friday’s thirtieth anniversary commemoration of the 1995 bloodbath in Srebrenica the place greater than 8,000 Bosniak Muslim males and boys in a U.N.-protected secure zone had been killed when it was overrun by Bosnian Serbs.
The United Nations, Human Rights Watch and the Heart for Constitutional Rights opposed the U.S. transfer.
“The imposition of sanctions on particular rapporteurs is a harmful precedent” and “is unacceptable,” U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric mentioned.
Whereas Albanese stories to the Human Rights Council — not Secretary-Common Antonio Guterres — the U.S. and another U.N. member are entitled to disagree with stories by the impartial rapporteurs, “however we encourage them to have interaction with the U.N. human rights structure.”
Trump introduced the U.S. was withdrawing from the council in February.
The conflict between Israel and Hamas started Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants stormed into Israel and killed some 1,200 folks, principally civilians, and took 251 folks captive. Israel’s retaliatory marketing campaign has killed over 57,000 Palestinians, in response to Gaza’s Well being Ministry, which says girls and kids make up many of the lifeless however doesn’t specify what number of had been fighters or civilians.
Practically 21 months into the battle that displaced the overwhelming majority of Gaza’s 2.3 million folks, the U.N. says starvation is rampant after a prolonged Israeli blockade on meals coming into the territory and medical care is extraordinarily restricted.
