On July 7, 2025, the US Department of State sanctioned UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian Territories, Francesca Albanese. In a statement published on the DOS website, Albanese was accused of spewing unabashed anti-Semitism, expressing support for terrorism, and open contempt with the United States, Israel, and the West.

Albanese is also accused of directly engaging with the International Criminal Court (ICC) in efforts to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute US and Israeli nationals, without the consent of those two countries, since neither the United States nor Israel signed the Rome Statute, making it an infringement on the sovereignty of both countries. Furthermore, the Special Rapporteur’s actions are described by Washington as “campaigns of political and economic warfare which threaten US national interests and sovereignty”.

Albanese, in her recent report entitled “From the Economy of Occupation to the Economy of Genocide” provided a one-sided version of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in Gaza without ever mentioning Hamas as a terrorist organization.

This is unlikely to be a coincidence, given that Albanese has consistently either refused to label Hamas as a terrorist organization, citing the absence of such a designation by the United Nations, or has sidestepped the question altogether. Most recently, during the Italian talk show “Coffee Break”, she responded to the direct inquiry, “Is Hamas a terrorist organization?” with a dismissive, “What does that have to do with it?” (Watch video here).

Albanese and the “Bolivarians”

On July 16 and 17, shortly after the sanctions were imposed, Albanese participated in an emergency summit convened in Bogotá, Colombia, by the Hague Group, a coalition established in January 2025 comprising Bolivia, Colombia, Cuba, Honduras, Malaysia, Namibia, Senegal, and South Africa, with the stated aim of opposing Israeli policies. The summit brought together representatives from over 30 nations, including Turkey and Qatar, both of which have shown support for Hamas. The meeting concluded with a joint declaration calling for sanctions against Israel.

Albanese also received honors from the host, Colombian President Gustavo Petro, who, since taking power in 2022, has constantly opposed Washington, generating an increase in tensions between the two countries. Petro had his picture taken with the Albanese in front of a pro-Palestinian banner.

It seems plausible that Albanese may be quietly seeking more explicit backing from the broader socialist and Bolivarian-aligned, anti-U.S. bloc, perhaps as a response to mounting pressure from the Trump administration. At the same time, she could be starting to weigh her long-term prospects, including what role she might pursue once her time at the United Nations comes to an end.

Albanese’s activity in Italy

On July 29 and 30, 2025, Francesca Albanese, who is an Italian national, was invited to hold a series of press conferences at the Italian Parliament. The invitation was made by Alessandra Maiorino and Stefania Ascari, representatives of the Five Star Movement in the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies, respectively.

Stefania Ascari has been actively involved in various pro-Palestinian initiatives, reflecting her long-standing support for the cause. One notable example was her participation in a trip to Lebanon in January 2023, organized by the Associazione Benefica Solidarietà Popolo Palestinese (ABSPP), under the coordination of its president, Mohammad Hannoun, a Palestinian national based in Italy who was sanctioned by the US Department of Treasury in October 2024 and June 2025, indicated as Hamas’ money collector on Italian soil. The delegation included a range of figures, among them Islamist preacher Riyad al-Bustanji, who sparked controversy in the past, particularly due to a 2012 interview on Al-Aqsa television in which he spoke about bringing his daughter to Gaza, stating that he wanted her to learn how to raise her children with the values of jihad and martyrdom.

In May 2023, Ascari participated in a conference held in Malmö, Sweden, which was organized by the Palestinian group “Europeans for al-Quds” and titled “75 Years… and We Will Be Back”. Representing Italy at the conference was a delegation headed by the already cited Mohammad Hannoun.

Albanese’s presence in Parliament prompted significant reactions, particularly from members of the ruling party, Fratelli d'Italia (Brothers of Italy): MPs Sara Kelany, Marco Lisei, and Francesco Filini have submitted a formal inquiry to the Minister of the Interior, Matteo Piantedosi, asking for clarification.

The MPs also raised concern regarding the presence of a close associate of Mohammad Hannoun, another Italy-based Palestinian, named Suleiman Hijazi, questioning the implications of his presence and the nature of his connection to Hannoun. It's important to highlight that access to the event was only possible after accreditation.

Following the emergence of the case, the Italian daily newspaper Il Tempo published a series of articles, including several of Hijazi's social media posts, both prior to and following the October 7^th 2023 massacre, which appear to indicate his support for Hamas.

For example, on October 7, 2023, Hijazi published four green hearts with the writing “Good morning Palestine” and, shortly after, “Oh God, thank you”. In 2024, the individual posted photos of Hamas founder, Sheikh Yassin, former Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, and Palestinian terrorist Marwan Barghouti, wishing for the latter’s release. In May 2017, after posting Hamas’ new charter, Hijazi wrote: “Only those who are Palestinian know what Hamas does for us. Hamas helps us in everything; not only does it fight but it also helps a lot in social matters. We are happy to have Hamas in Palestine.”  In 2015, Hijazi referred to Hamas as “Our resistance movement, which fought and continues to fight in Palestine”.

While awaiting a response from the Italian Ministry of the Interior, Il Tempo is moving forward with the investigation while expressing disappointment over the lack of coverage from other Italian newspapers regarding the Albanese-Hijazi case.

In the meantime, the mayor of Bari, Vito Leccese, (Democratic Party) made the symbolic gesture of handing over the city keys to Francesca Albanese, “for his continued and passionate commitment to the rights of the Palestinian people.” Albanese expressed her honor and stated that “she will hand over the keys to the city to the Palestinian people once they achieve freedom.”

In conclusion

Following the sanctions imposed by the U.S. Department of State, Albanese has increasingly engaged with the Italian political arena, particularly within the sphere of the Five-Stars Movement. This may suggest that the Special Rapporteur is considering a potential future candidacy, as her current role has become increasingly difficult in light of the sanctions.

At the same time, the Five-Star Movement, and the Italian left more broadly, appears to be seeking fresh candidates to relaunch a coalition that is currently in a very difficult situation. In this context, Albanese may be viewed as a compelling, albeit high-risk, choice, especially now that Washington is decisively applying sanctions.

Another element to highlight is the ideological proximity between the Five-Star Movement (which invited Albanese to speak at the parliament) and the Socialist galaxy in Latin America. In June 2022, the Five-Star Movement praised Gustavo Petro’s election in a statement released by EU MP Sabrina Pignedoli:” Gustavo Petro is the new president of Colombia. We express great emotion for this change. Now respect for human rights. Good luck, Mr. President. We look forward to seeing you at the European Parliament.”

In March 2017, Five-Star Movement MPs of the time, Manlio Di Stefano (group leader of the Chamber of Deputies' Foreign Affairs Committee), Ornella Bertorotta (group leader of the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee), and Vito Petrocelli (vice president of the Committee of Italians Abroad) visited Carcas to attend the ceremony commemorating Hugo Chavez.

Albanese appears to be seeking support precisely in these political circles, therefore confirming what Washington claims, namely her ideological militancy, incompatible with her role as Special Rapporteur.