Israel's ambassador to the United Nations (UN), Dany Dannon, called for imprisoning the special rapporteur for the Palestinian territories, Francesca A Ibanese, after a federal court in the States precautionarily suspended the sanctions that the Donald Trump Administration imposed against him in 2025.

“No interim order will change the simple fact that Francesca Albanese is exploiting her position at the UN to carry out a incitement campaign politics against Israel and the United States,” Dannon wrote on the social network X. The diplomat added that the UN official “should be behind bars.”

The statements further raised the diplomatic tension around Albanese, an Italian jurist who since 2022 has held the position of special rapporteur of the UN Human Rights Council pa ra the occupied Palestinian territories. During his management, he has repeatedly denounced Israeli military operations in Gaza and has described the Israeli occupation as “prolonged and illegal”.

Dannon accused Albanese of promoting judicial actions against Israeli and American soldiers and civilians before the International Criminal Court, as well as spreading “lies” and blood libels.” Also, it indicated indirectly supporting Hamas after the attacks on 7 October 2023, in which around 1,200 people died in Israel.

Federal court temporarily blocks the sanctions

The political confrontation intensified after federal judge Richard Leon suspended the sanctions issued by Washington against Albanese. In his resolution, the magistrate held that “protecting freedom of expression is always in the public interest”, considering that the measures could represent an unconstitutional restriction.

The sanctions, imposed in July 2025, included the ban on entry to U.S. territory and the total blocking of financial assets under the jurisdiction of United States. The Trump Administration argued at that time that Albanese had promoted a “political and economic war campaign” against Israel and the United States.

The Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, harshly criticized the rapporteur for supporting initiatives before the International Criminal Court against the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, as well as for promoting international sanctions related to the war in Gaza.

After knowledge of the judicial ruling, Albanese publicly celebrated the decision and assured that the sanctions seeked to “undermine” her work as an independent expert entity of the United Nations. In a message disseminated on social networks, she thanked the support of her family and those who have supported her during the legal process.

International criticism is growing for the case

The actions against Albanese have caused concern among international organizations and human rights groups. UN Secretary-General António Guterre s, previously described the sanctions as “unacceptable” and warned that they could set “a dangerous precedent” for the work of independent United Nations experts.

Organizations such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch also rejected the measures taken by Washington, arguing that they represented an attempt to intimidate international officials critical of the Israeli offensive in Gaza.

The conflict in the Gaza Strip continues to generate international pressure on Israel and the United States. Although in recent months,partial ceasefire agreements have been reached, various humanitarian agencies and functions UN officials maintain that the humanitarian crisis continues to worsen, while the number of dead in Gaza now exceeds 72,000 people, according to reports cited by Palestinian authorities and international organizations.