GAZA (Palestine Foundation Information Center) The Hamas Movement has strongly condemned the US decision to impose sanctions on Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Palestine, calling it a blatant act of bias in favor of Israeli war crimes and a dangerous attack on international justice mechanisms.
In a statement on Friday, the Islamic Resistance Movement described the move as part of a broader US policy to shield Israel from accountability.
“Sanctioning individuals and institutions for fulfilling their professional and moral duties in the face of a genocide in Gaza undermines international law and encourages the occupation’s leaders to persist in their crimes,” the statement read.
The sanctions against Albanese—announced by the administration of US President Donald Trump—were imposed shortly after she accused Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Her statements were backed by several human rights organizations and genocide experts, despite fierce opposition from both Washington and Tel Aviv.
Hamas criticized the sanctions as a deliberate effort to silence criticism of Israel’s 21-month-long genocidal campaign in Gaza, which has left tens of thousands of civilians martyred or wounded. The Movement said the punitive measures reflect Washington’s disregard for the UN’s role in documenting war crimes and the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in the besieged enclave.
“The US administration must reconsider these policies, which position it as an active partner in the killing of children, women, and civilians in Gaza,” Hamas said, urging Washington to “lift its criminal cover from this ongoing massacre.”
Albanese, a respected human rights lawyer, has consistently called for an end to Israeli aggression and for the prosecution of those responsible for crimes committed in Gaza. Her position has drawn widespread support from legal experts and international bodies, especially as genocide and war crimes cases against Israel are currently being reviewed by both the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court.
