Trump Administration Sanctions UN Expert Over Israel Criticism
The **Trump** administration has levied sanctions against **Francesca Albanese**, a United Nations expert, following her reports documenting alleged Israeli abuses against Palestinians during the Gaza conflict. The move intensifies already strained relations between the U.S. and international bodies scrutinizing Israel’s actions.
U.S. Accusations and Justification
**Marco Rubio**, U.S. Secretary of State, announced the sanctions, alleging that **Albanese** is conducting “campaign of political and economic warfare against the United States and Israel.”
The U.S. action is reportedly based on **Trump’s** February executive order that allows penalties against ICC officials for targeting Israel.
**Albanese**, as the UN special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territory, has been a vocal critic of Israel’s human rights record. She recently criticized European governments for allowing Israeli Prime Minister **Benjamin Netanyahu** to use their airspace, while he faces potential ICC charges.
“Italian, French and Greek citizens deserve to know that every political action violating the [international] legal order, weakens and endangers all of them. And all of us,”
—Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur
The sanctions freeze any U.S. assets held by targeted individuals and bar them and their families from entering the country. In May 2025, the World Bank reported that foreign direct investment to conflict-affected economies fell by an average of 13% (World Bank 2025).
Allegations of Anti-Semitism
**Rubio** has accused **Albanese** of anti-Semitism, citing her advocacy for the ICC to issue arrest warrants against **Benjamin Netanyahu** and former Defense Minister **Yoav Gallant**. The ICC has indeed charged them with war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Specifically, the charges relate to allegedly depriving Palestinians of essential resources like food, water, and medicine. **Albanese** also authored a report highlighting the role of international companies, including U.S. firms, in what she described as a genocide during the Israeli campaign in Gaza.
Reactions to the Sanctions
**Nancy Okail**, head of the Center for International Policy (CIP), condemned the sanctions as “devastating,”
arguing that “Sanctioning a UN expert gives the signal that the United States is acting like dictatorships.”
This is rogue state behavior.
You cannot say you are for the rule of law or any sort of international order if you support this.
Even if you think Netanyahu is not guilty, punishing the ICC or those engaged in its due process puts you on the side of dictators and war criminals. https://t.co/aflPVyC6b3
— Dylan Williams (@dylanotes) July 9, 2025
Ongoing Conflict in Gaza
The backdrop to these sanctions is the ongoing conflict in Gaza. Reports indicate that the Israeli campaign, backed by the U.S., has resulted in widespread destruction and a high death toll. Local health officials claim that at least 57,575 Palestinians have been killed over the past 21 months.
