UN Special Rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territories, Francesca Albanese, lambasted the Israeli army, as more of its abuses against children and other civilians became public. In a post on social media platform X, Albanese wrote, I have seen enough to say it with absolute certainty: The Israeli army is the most depraved army". Social media
Francesca Albanese, 49, is an Italian legal scholar and human rights expert. She has served as the United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories since May 2022. Initially appointed for a three‑year term, she was confirmed for another three years in April 2025. She is the first woman to hold the position.
As part of her mandate, Albanese has been critical of Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories. In her first report, she recommended that UN member states develop a plan to end the occupation and what she described as apartheid. After the Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip, she called for an immediate ceasefire and warned that Palestinians in Gaza were at risk of ethnic cleansing. In March 2024, she reported to the UN Human Rights Council that Israel’s actions in Gaza amounted to genocide.
UN expert Francesca Albanese has become a leading advocate for Palestinian rights and has exposed what she describes as a global scandal involving the Israeli occupying power on the international stage. She confirmed that her daughter received direct rape threats while in Tunisia—threats issued in retaliation for Albanese’s public statements and reports regarding the situation in the Gaza Strip.
“Genocide” designation sparks retaliation
The crisis escalated after Albanese submitted a report characterizing events in Gaza as “genocide,” a designation that provoked furious reactions and unleashed a torrent of attacks against her from pro‑Israeli groups.
Since then, her husband was fired from his job, and she has faced escalating threats, including intimidating messages and anonymous phone calls. However, she never imagined the situation would escalate to the point of directly threatening her daughter, including precise details about her place of study.
Direct threats and intimidation
According to Albanese, one caller explicitly informed her that her daughter would be sexually assaulted—an act she described as crossing all “red lines” and marking a shift from political pressure to overt psychological terror.
This alarming development compelled her to seek protection from authorities, amid intense anxiety for her family’s safety as the threats continued.
Sanctions by the Trump administration
Albanese has been sanctioned by the United States due to her criticism of Israel and her engagement with the International Criminal Court (ICC). According to her statements, she was placed on sensitive watchlists, resulting in the freezing of her financial assets, the seizure of property, and sweeping restrictions on her freedom of movement. Because of these sanctions, she says she is treated as if she were a terrorist and can only use cash, as she is barred from all banking services.
International political backlash
The pressure did not stop in the United States. Albanese reported facing harassment in several European countries—including Germany—where she encountered threats of arrest and was barred from participating in public events.
Allegations of rape used as a weapon
- Israeli troops allegedly raped a 13‑year‑old Palestinian boy they had detained, then labeled the organization investigating the case a “terrorist entity.”
- On Nov. 12, 2025, two Israeli soldiers accused of raping a Palestinian detainee were met with cheers as they arrived at the Supreme Court in Jerusalem.
- On Mar. 12, 2026, Israel’s top military lawyer dropped all charges against five soldiers accused of violently abusing and raping a Palestinian detainee from Gaza.
- On May 12, 2026, Israel’s top military lawyer again dropped charges against five soldiers accused of sexually abusing a Palestinian detainee at a military facility, according to Al Jazeera.
- After Ahed Tamimi was detained in December 2017 for slapping a soldier—a video that went viral—Israeli journalist Ben Caspit suggested that Ahed and girls like her should be raped in jail “in the dark, without witnesses or cameras,” he wrote in Hebrew.
Mossad threats against South African minister and her children
In 2024, South African Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor reported receiving threats against herself and her children following South Africa’s case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), accusing it of violating the Genocide Convention. She alleged involvement by Israeli intelligence. As with the threats against Albanese’s daughter, these incidents reflect how critics of Israel say they are targeted with intimidation.
Is defending the truth worth such a high price?
Amid this crisis, Albanese posed a poignant question: Is defending the truth worth such a high price—especially when it escalates into direct threats against one’s children? Nevertheless, she affirmed her commitment to her work, stating that she has no choice but to press on. Her resolve underscores the magnitude of the challenge she faces.
Albanese believes she is on the right side of history. Critics argue that Israel has disregarded the ICJ’s January 2024 ruling on the risk of genocide and provisional measures, continuing its military operations in Palestine, Lebanon, and Iran.
As Francesca Albanese’s life becomes a rollercoaster, people of conscience around the world insist she will not stand alone. Many express gratitude for her work in documenting and exposing what she describes as the truth. History, they say, will remember the voices that rose against injustice—those who elevated their mission to the heights of human dignity in the face of oppression.
https://x.com/FurkanGozukara/status/2040609900271681802?s=20
Caption for additional image: Israeli troops raped a 13-year-old Palestinian boy they’d detained, then labelled the organization investigating his rape as a “terrorist entity." AP News wire service.
