According to a video by Al Jazeera news on Wednesday, July 9, 2025, in a dramatic escalation of tensions between the United States and the United Nations over Israel’s war in Gaza, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has announced sanctions against Francesca Albanese, the UN’s Special Rapporteur for the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The move has ignited a firestorm of criticism and intensified global debate about freedom of expression, international justice, and the limits of diplomacy.
“She will not be allowed to enter the United States,” Rubio declared, confirming that the sanctions include a visa ban, freezing of assets, and potential penalties for any individuals or entities that collaborate with Albanese.
Speaking from the ASEAN summit in Malaysia, Rubio detailed the administration’s sharp rebuke of Albanese’s actions, accusing her of weaponizing her UN platform against US and Israeli officials.
“Francesca Albanese has launched an illegitimate and shameful campaign to pressure the International Criminal Court (ICC) into issuing arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and various American business executives,” Rubio said.
The sanctions, announced just hours after Albanese reiterated calls for accountability over alleged war crimes in Gaza, signal a zero-tolerance stance by the Trump administration toward international legal scrutiny of Israel’s actions.
Rubio further accused Albanese of pushing what he described as a “campaign of political and economic warfare” targeting US sovereignty and national interests.
“Her letters to dozens of global companies, including leaders in finance, technology, defense, and hospitality, make extreme and unfounded accusations,” Rubio claimed. “She is recommending ICC investigations into executives with no legal basis.”
Albanese, a prominent legal scholar and human rights advocate, has long drawn criticism from Israel and its allies for her vocal opposition to what she calls the “apartheid-like conditions” imposed on Palestinians in the occupied territories. Her recent recommendation that the ICC pursue war crimes charges has turned her into one of the most controversial figures at the UN.
The Trump administration’s decision marks the first time a US government has sanctioned a UN human rights official, a move rights groups are calling unprecedented and dangerous.
Human rights organizations have condemned the decision as a politically motivated attack on the independence of international legal institutions.
“This is nothing short of intimidation,” said one UN legal advisor off the record. “If Washington can silence a UN expert through sanctions, then the UN’s credibility as an impartial body is at serious risk.”
Rubio dismissed the backlash, claiming that Albanese’s history of “unabashed anti-Semitism, open contempt for the West, and support for terrorism” disqualifies her from any role in the international arena.
Under the terms of the sanctions, Albanese’s financial transactions within the US will be blocked, and she will be barred from owning property or assets in the country. Furthermore, any individuals or organizations that engage with her in a professional capacity could also face secondary sanctions.
While Albanese has not responded publicly to the measures, UN sources say the decision is being reviewed by legal teams in Geneva and New York. It remains unclear whether the United Nations will challenge the ban, which may restrict Albanese from attending official meetings at UN headquarters.
