WASHINGTON, D.C
The United States imposed sanctions on Francesca Albanese, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, for her efforts to pressure the International Criminal Court (ICC) to take action against American and Israeli officials, companies, and executives.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the move in a post on X (formerly Twitter), stating, Albanese’s campaign of political and economic warfare against the United States and Israel will no longer be tolerated.
The sanctions follow an executive order issued by President Donald Trump in February, which authorized punitive measures against the ICC and individuals who support its investigations.
The order accused the court of issuing baseless arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
Albanese, an Italian jurist and outspoken critic of the Israeli military offensive in Gaza, has received strong condemnation from US and Israeli officials. In a recent speech before the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, she accused Israel of committing “one of the cruellest genocides in modern history” in its war against Hamas.
The sanctions mark a significant escalation in Washington's efforts to shield its allies from international accountability. Human rights groups have criticized the measure as an attempt to silence criticism of Israel's actions in Gaza, where numerous civilians on both sides have been killed since the start of the conflict.