UN Rapporteur Francesca Albanese Barred from U.S., Delivers Gaza Report via Video
Investigator blasts America for blocking her New York report.
Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian territories, delivered her latest Gaza assessment via video from South Africa on Tuesday after U.S. sanctions barred her from entering the United States to present in person at UN headquarters in New York. The Italian lawyer accused Washington of an "unlawful and spiteful" assault on UN independence, warning the General Assembly’s Third Committee that no member state had confronted this precedent despite months of global criticism and condemnations from human rights bodies.
Her 28-page report, titled Gaza: Strangled, Starved, Shattered, describes the enclave as devastated two years into Israel’s war with Hamas, citing Gaza Health Ministry figures—verified by the UN—showing over 67,000 dead, with more than 70% women and children, alongside 90% of residents displaced and 68% of buildings damaged or destroyed, including all universities and most hospitals. Albanese repeated allegations of "genocide" and "apartheid," rejecting the current ceasefire as a false peace that permits ongoing occupation, settlement expansion, and killings under the guise of security.
Israeli Ambassador Danny Danon denounced the report as "one-sided propaganda" and personally attacked Albanese, calling her a "witch" who weaponizes Holocaust terminology to demonize Israel; multiple delegations, including Ireland, South Africa, and Malaysia, condemned his remarks as misogynistic and unbecoming of diplomatic discourse. The U.S. State Department defended the July sanctions, citing her alleged antisemitism, support for terrorism, and "lawfare" against American interests.
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The sanctions—imposed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio—marked the first targeting of a sitting UN rapporteur, freezing any U.S.-linked assets and revoking her visa indefinitely. Despite calls for immediate reversal from UN human rights chief Volker Türk and labeling the measures "unacceptable" by chief spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric, no Security Council action followed, and Albanese vowed to continue her mandate, stating her commitment to justice outweighs personal consequences or institutional pressure.
As the U.S.-brokered ceasefire falters with fresh Israeli strikes in southern Gaza and Hamas delays in returning hostages’ remains, Albanese urged member states to impose arms embargoes on Israel, recognize Palestine, and seek an ICJ advisory opinion on the legality of the occupation. Aid agencies warn of impending famine, with the World Food Programme reporting fewer than 100 trucks entering daily—far below the 500 needed for survival—while Israel insists it facilitates sufficient aid but accuses Hamas of systematic diversion.
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