Francesca Albanese, the United Nations special rapporteur for the West Bank and Gaza, responded to news of her impending sanctions by the Trump administration with a post on X stating, “the powerful punishing those who speak for the powerless, it is not a sign of strength, but of guilt.” The sanctions, announced by the State Department on Wednesday, are part of a broader effort by the US to punish critics of its close ally Israel and its 21-month war in Gaza. Albanese, an independent official tasked with investigating human rights abuses in the Palestinian territories, urged international observers to focus on the dire situation inside Gaza, where children are dying from starvation and families are being bombed while searching for food.
Responding to a live show by the Middle East Eye, Albanese suggested that she had “hit a nerve” and expressed her concern that people are dying in Gaza unchecked, while the United Nations remains powerless to intervene. A human rights lawyer, Albanese has been outspoken in her calls to end what she describes as the “genocide” being committed by Israel against Palestinians in Gaza – a claim strongly denied by both Israel and the US.
The sanctions on Albanese have raised concerns within the United Nations, with the secretary-general and the human rights council president expressing regret and calling on all member states to fully cooperate with the special rapporteurs and to refrain from intimidation or reprisal. Albanian’s recent letters and reports have criticized several US companies for aiding what she describes as Israel’s occupation and war on Gaza, leading to the increase in what the US sees as politically and economically motivated warfare against Israel and the United States.
The political fallout continues to escalate, with critics arguing that the sanctions could stifle important investigations into human rights abuses, especially in conflict zones like Gaza. The already strained relationship between the Trump administration and the international community could worsen if such sanctions become a frequent tool in silencing human rights advocates.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jul/11/francesca-albanese-un-gaza-investigator-us-sanctions-guilt
