UN special rapporteur sanctioned by US for probing human rights abuses in Gaza

K PRAGALATH

The Trump administration have issued sanctions against a UN special rapporteur tasked with probing human rights abuses in the Palestinian territories, the latest effort by the United States to punish critics of Israel’s war in Gaza.

The State Department imposed sanctions on Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur for the West Bank and Gaza, after US’ pressure on the UN to remove her from her post failed.

Co-incidentally Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is visiting Washington this week to meet with President Donald Trump and other officials about the war in Gaza.

The practicality of the sanctions is unknown since she has been travelling with diplomatic papers.

The US had previously not addressed concerns raised by her since the US has not participated in the two Human Rights Council sessions this year. Trump withdrew US participation from UNHRC last year.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio termed her campaign against Israel as political and economic warfare.

“Albanese’s campaign of political and economic warfare against the United States and Israel will no longer be tolerated,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio posted on social media.

“We will always stand by our partners in their right to self-defense.”