Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories, has called out the US for “enabling” Israel to kill tens of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza during the last one and a half years.
In an exclusive interview with TRT World, Albanese stated that the Trump administration is curbing the space for freedom of expression and the right to protest in order to help Israel continue its oppression of Palestinians.
“My mandate is limited: I can remind member states of their obligations under international law and document the ongoing realities in the occupied Palestinian territories,” she says.
Her comments come amid a coordinated campaign by pro-Israel groups, accusing her of antisemitism and “terrorism” and calling for her removal. The pro-Israel organisations, including UN Watch, published a 60-page report accusing her of promoting antisemitism and “terrorism.” The organisation also launched a petition urging the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to reject her “reappointment.”
An unfazed Albanese has, however, vowed to continue her work “to stop the brutalisation of the Palestinians.”
“The (UN) Human Rights Council has acknowledged the threats against me and my family and has recognised that I have not persistently violated the code of conduct, as accused. There’s no antisemitism, no support for terrorism,” she tells TRT World.
Real accountability, she adds, must come from national civil societies, including voices—however few—within Israel that stand in solidarity with Palestinians. She highlights the growing number of young Jewish activists challenging the status quo and stresses that justice requires action not just from governments, but also from media, corporations, financial institutions, and all those profiting from Palestinian suffering.
“I think that the new American presidency has shown the depravity, really the depravity, of the US policies towards…Palestine,” she says, noting that it was Joe Biden who enabled Israel to kill 40,000 Palestinians.
US military aid to Israel has reached an all-time high as Israel has relentlessly bombarded Gaza over the last 18 months. Since the beginning of Israel’s war on Gaza in October 2023, the US has enacted legislation guaranteeing at least $12.5 billion in direct military aid to Israel.
A separate analysis by Brown University’s Watson Institute found that US spending on Israeli military and related operations in the Middle East since October 7, 2023, has reached nearly $23 billion—substantially more than any other year since Washington began providing military aid to Israel in 1959.
The terms of military aid require the Israeli government to divert most of that money back to the US for buying weapons from American companies.
This condition ensures a “steady flow” of income for US arms manufacturers, which in turn supports “stable manufacturing jobs” in small and midsize communities across the country.
“So, policymakers, the media, the private sector including the banking system, pension funds, and the businesses profiting from the slaughter and brutalisation of Palestinians—this must end. Justice begins here, with actions against these people,” says Albanese.
On Friday, during the final day of the United Nations Human Rights Council's 58th session, a vote was held to approve a second three-year term for Albanese, extending her mandate until 2028.
Vocal critic of Israel
Albanese has been outspoken in her criticism of Israel’s war on Gaza, which has killed over 50,000 people, nearly one-third of whom were under the age of 18.
In her role as UN Special Rapporteur, she has accused Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians in both Gaza and the occupied West Bank. She has faced harassment and pressure from pro-Israel groups and politicians calling for her removal from the UN.
In a report titled Anatomy of a Genocide, Albanese accused the Netanyahu government of undermining international law to achieve genocidal goals in the occupied territories. She has repeatedly pointed out the difficulties that her team has to face in gathering evidence against Israel and expressed her frustration with hypocritical world leaders.
UN Special Rapporteurs operate independently, issue regular reports within their mandate, and are granted public platforms and institutional legitimacy for their work.
At a recent UNHRC session in Geneva, UN Watch Director Hillel Neuer demanded the immediate termination of Albanese’s mandate. Other groups, including the World Jewish Congress and the Zionist youth organisation Betar, have also targeted her for her pro-Palestine stance.
No need for ‘reappointment’
Recent media reports suggested that Albanese, appointed in 2022, was due to step down at the end of her three-year term. However, the UN reaffirmed her position last week, confirming she will remain in office until 2028.
Several outlets claimed that her continued tenure was confirmed during the 58th session of the UNHRC last Friday. However, Pascal Sim, a spokesperson for the UNHRC, said the agenda of the session did not include the approval or reappointment of any special rapporteurs, including any "renewal" of Albanese’s mandate.
The mandates of country-specific UN Rapporteurs, such as Albanese, are not divided into two separate three-year terms. The three-year limit applies only to thematic mandates concerning specific economic, social, cultural, civil, and political rights, as set out in the relevant resolution.
The UNHRC spokesperson confirmed that Special Rapporteurs can serve for a maximum of six years. Therefore, Albanese may remain in her role until April 30, 2028, in accordance with this six-year limit.
“At no time has the (UN) Human Rights Council, in any formal or informal way, been called to ‘reappoint’ or ‘renew’ a Special Procedures mandate-holder,” Sim added.
