President Biden’s administration has taken a firm stance on the issue, aligning with Israel and the United States. The administration has been accused of supporting Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip, which have drawn criticism from human rights organizations and the United Nations. Albansese, a UN official, has been vocal in her criticism of Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip, alleging genocide.
In response to her accusations, the U.S. has imposed sanctions on Albansese, citing her ‘illegitimate and shameful’ efforts to prompt the International Criminal Court to investigate U.S. and Israeli officials. The sanctions came on the heels of the U.S. government’s decision to distance itself further from the United Nations Human Rights Council, a move that has been widely interpreted as a shift in U.S. foreign policy toward Israel. This move was first taken during the previous administration of Donald Trump.
Albanese, who was appointed to the UN Human Rights Council by the United Nations, has been a vocal advocate for Palestinian rights in the Gaza Strip. She has called for the arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on a warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC). The arrest warrant for Netanyahu was issued in 2024, and Albanese has urged countries to impose a full arms embargo and suspend trade agreements with Israel.
Both the U.S. and Israel are not members of the ICC, and they have both rejected the warrants against Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant. The White House has also sanctioned four ICC judges, including those who authorized the court to investigate the conduct of American troops in Afghanistan, as part of its ongoing efforts to limit the ICC’s influence.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk has condemned the U.S. sanctions, calling it a ‘deeply corrosive of good governance and the due administration of justice.’ The move has drawn attention from around the globe, with countries and organizations expressing concern over the potential impact of such sanctions on the international legal and diplomatic framework.