Albanese pledges to continue her work on the Palestinian territories despite US sanctions.

The UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories, Francesca Albanese, said on Thursday that the US sanctions against her are "designed to undermine her mission."

"I will continue to do what I have to do," Albanese added during a press conference in the Slovenian capital, Ljubljana, "even if it is a challenge."

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Wednesday the imposition of sanctions on the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian territories, Francesca Albanese, for what he described as her "illegal efforts to push the International Criminal Court to take action against American and Israeli officials, companies, and executives."

In a related development, human rights advocates rallied on Thursday in support of the UN's top expert on Palestinian rights after the United States imposed sanctions on her for what it called unfair criticism of Israel, according to Reuters.

Albanese has long been a critic of Israel's treatment of Palestinians, and this month published a report accusing more than 60 companies, including American firms, of supporting Israeli settlements in the West Bank and military operations in Gaza.

Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, called on the United States to reverse its decision.

"Even in the face of deep disagreements, UN member states must engage objectively and constructively, rather than resorting to punitive measures," he said.

Jürg Lauber, the permanent representative of Switzerland to the United Nations, which currently holds the rotating presidency of the Human Rights Council, said he regretted the sanctions and called on states to "refrain from any acts of intimidation or retaliation" against the organization's experts.

Mariana Katzarova, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Russia, said she was concerned that other countries would follow the US example.

"This is completely unacceptable and opens the door for any other government to do the same," she told Reuters. "It's an attack on the UN system as a whole. Member states must stand up and condemn this."

Russia has rejected Katzarova's authorization and refused to allow her to enter the country, but has not yet publicly placed her on its sanctions list.

Washington has already imposed sanctions on officials at the International Criminal Court, which has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister, Yoav Gallant, on suspicion of war crimes in Gaza.

Another court, the International Court of Justice, is considering a case brought by South Africa accusing Israel of committing genocide.

Israel denies that its forces committed war crimes or genocide against Palestinians in the war in the Gaza Strip, which erupted after an attack by fighters led by the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) in October 2023.

“The United States is dismantling the norms and institutions that survivors of grave abuses rely on,” said Liz Evenson, international justice director at Human Rights Watch.

The organization's former president, Kenneth Roth, described the US sanctions as an attempt to "deter prosecution of Israeli war crimes and genocide in Gaza."

The United States, once one of the most active members of the Human Rights Council, withdrew from the body under President Donald Trump, alleging its bias against Israel.