US Sanctions UN Special Rapporteur Over Gaza War Crimes Report
Washington targets UN expert after reports on Israeli war crimes and corporate complicity in Gaza genocide
United States, PUREWILAYAH.COM - U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Wednesday the imposition of sanctions against Francesca Albanese, the United Nations Human Rights Council’s Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
He accused her of leading what he described as an “illegitimate and shameful” campaign to pressure the International Criminal Court (ICC) into launching investigations against U.S. and Israeli officials, companies, and institutions.
Rubio described Albanese’s work as “political and economic warfare” against the United States and its allies, vowing to end such initiatives.
“Today I am imposing sanctions on UN Human Rights Council Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese,” he posted on X. “We will always stand by our partners in their right to self-defense.”
Measures Include Travel Ban, Asset Freeze
The sanctions reportedly include travel restrictions and the freezing of any assets Albanese may hold within U.S. jurisdiction. A legal expert from Italy, Albanese has been a vocal critic of Israel’s military operations in Gaza and the West Bank, frequently urging international legal accountability.
Her latest reports have intensified pressure on Western governments and corporations, particularly those involved in the arms and tech sectors, to reassess their involvement in what she describes as Israel’s war crimes and apartheid policies.
UN Report Accuses Global Corporations of Enabling Genocide
In a separate development this week, Albanese published a UN report accusing more than 60 international companies—including weapons manufacturers and tech firms—of directly contributing to settlement expansion and the genocidal campaign in Gaza.
Based on over 200 submissions from states, NGOs, academic institutions, and companies themselves, the report urges an immediate halt to business dealings with Israel and calls for legal consequences for executives complicit in alleged violations of international law.
Arms, Surveillance, and Big Tech in the Spotlight
Among those named in the report are:
Lockheed Martin and Leonardo, for supplying weapons reportedly used in Gaza;
Caterpillar and Hyundai, for providing machinery linked to property destruction in Palestinian territories;
Alphabet, Amazon, Microsoft, and IBM, for allegedly enabling Israel’s surveillance infrastructure;
Palantir Technologies, for supplying AI tools to the Israeli military.
While Alphabet defended its $1.2 billion cloud contract with Israel as unrelated to military operations, critics argue these firms form the backbone of the occupation’s digital and physical infrastructure.
Albanese’s advocacy has sparked global debate on the intersection of technology, war, and human rights, drawing sharp opposition from Washington and Tel Aviv—and renewed calls for corporate accountability under international law. (PW)