One woman’s war on war crimes
Published: 03:07 PM,Jul 18,2025 | EDITED : 07:07 PM,Jul 18,2025
Francesca Albanese
In a world where the voice of justice is increasingly drowned out and human rights are trampled on daily — particularly in Palestine and Gaza — a courageous figure has emerged.
Francesca Albanese, an Italian lawyer and academic, has stood firm in defence of international law and humanity, demonstrating a moral strength that many world leaders lack.
Appointed in May 2022 as the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, Albanese assumed a role not only demanding legal rigour but also moral clarity.
Her appointment by the UN Human Rights Council was a recognition of her long-standing expertise, but it has been her principled stand that has brought her international attention — and condemnation from powerful quarters.
Born in 1977 in Ariano Irpino, southern Italy, Albanese earned a law degree with honours from the University of Pisa and a master’s degree in human rights from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in London. She is currently completing a PhD in international refugee law at the University of Amsterdam. Her professional career has spanned research positions at Georgetown University, the Arab Renaissance for Democracy and Development; and Erasmus University Rotterdam.
In 2020, she co-authored a book on Palestinian refugees. For over a decade, she worked with the United Nations, including with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and UNRWA.
Albanese has not only relied on credentials but on integrity. Since the start of the Israeli military campaign in Gaza in October 2023, she has issued several UN reports documenting what she asserts to be genocide, war crimes and ongoing violations of international humanitarian law.
Her most recent report, published in July 2024, sparked outrage from Washington and discomfort among Western governments. In it, she accuses over 60 international companies, including weapons manufacturers and tech giants, of directly or indirectly supporting Israeli military operations in Gaza and settlement expansion in the West Bank.
She names firms such as Lockheed Martin, Leonardo, Caterpillar, Hyundai Heavy Industries, Google, Amazon, Microsoft and Barclays Bank, alleging that they provide weapons, technology, software and financial services that facilitate surveillance, home demolitions and military assaults on Palestinians. The report represents a bold challenge to the complicity of corporate and state actors in systematic violations of human rights.
Predictably, the backlash was swift. On July 9, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced sanctions against Albanese on X (formerly Twitter), accusing her of leading a politically motivated campaign against American and Israeli leaders and companies. Despite this, Albanese remains undeterred. She has urged the international community to take serious action, even calling in late 2024 for Israel’s suspension from the United Nations due to its alleged breaches of international law.
In another act of courage, she publicly questioned the decision by Italy, France and Greece to allow Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — wanted by the International Criminal Court — to travel through their airspace en route to Washington. She pointed out that they had a legal obligation to arrest him following an ICC arrest warrant issued in November 2024 for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Albanese’s stance is not driven by ideology but by principle. She has taken risks to speak truth to power when others, including international courts, have hesitated. More than six months after South Africa filed a case at the International Court of Justice accusing Israel of genocide, the court has yet to issue a definitive ruling.
Meanwhile, the ICC has moved slowly on cases against Netanyahu and his defence minister despite widespread evidence and global scrutiny.
Francesca Albanese has shown that courage is not confined by gender, nationality, or title. At a time when silence and neutrality prevail, she has chosen to bear witness to atrocities, to name perpetrators and to urge action. Her bravery exposes not only the crimes of war, but also the complicity of those who choose to look away.
As the Arab world remains largely silent and Western governments continue to equivocate, Albanese’s voice has become a symbol of ethical resistance.
Her actions recall the verse of Ahmed Shawqi, the Prince of Poets: “Among the many types of courage, the greatest is the courage of conviction”. In her resolve, Francesca Albanese has lived up to those words.
Translated by Badr al Dhafari
The original version of this article was published in Arabic in the print edition of Oman newspaper on July 15
Francesca Albanese, an Italian lawyer and academic, has stood firm in defence of international law and humanity, demonstrating a moral strength that many world leaders lack.
Appointed in May 2022 as the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, Albanese assumed a role not only demanding legal rigour but also moral clarity.
Her appointment by the UN Human Rights Council was a recognition of her long-standing expertise, but it has been her principled stand that has brought her international attention — and condemnation from powerful quarters.
Born in 1977 in Ariano Irpino, southern Italy, Albanese earned a law degree with honours from the University of Pisa and a master’s degree in human rights from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in London. She is currently completing a PhD in international refugee law at the University of Amsterdam. Her professional career has spanned research positions at Georgetown University, the Arab Renaissance for Democracy and Development; and Erasmus University Rotterdam.
In 2020, she co-authored a book on Palestinian refugees. For over a decade, she worked with the United Nations, including with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and UNRWA.
Albanese has not only relied on credentials but on integrity. Since the start of the Israeli military campaign in Gaza in October 2023, she has issued several UN reports documenting what she asserts to be genocide, war crimes and ongoing violations of international humanitarian law.
Her most recent report, published in July 2024, sparked outrage from Washington and discomfort among Western governments. In it, she accuses over 60 international companies, including weapons manufacturers and tech giants, of directly or indirectly supporting Israeli military operations in Gaza and settlement expansion in the West Bank.
She names firms such as Lockheed Martin, Leonardo, Caterpillar, Hyundai Heavy Industries, Google, Amazon, Microsoft and Barclays Bank, alleging that they provide weapons, technology, software and financial services that facilitate surveillance, home demolitions and military assaults on Palestinians. The report represents a bold challenge to the complicity of corporate and state actors in systematic violations of human rights.
Predictably, the backlash was swift. On July 9, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced sanctions against Albanese on X (formerly Twitter), accusing her of leading a politically motivated campaign against American and Israeli leaders and companies. Despite this, Albanese remains undeterred. She has urged the international community to take serious action, even calling in late 2024 for Israel’s suspension from the United Nations due to its alleged breaches of international law.
In another act of courage, she publicly questioned the decision by Italy, France and Greece to allow Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — wanted by the International Criminal Court — to travel through their airspace en route to Washington. She pointed out that they had a legal obligation to arrest him following an ICC arrest warrant issued in November 2024 for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Albanese’s stance is not driven by ideology but by principle. She has taken risks to speak truth to power when others, including international courts, have hesitated. More than six months after South Africa filed a case at the International Court of Justice accusing Israel of genocide, the court has yet to issue a definitive ruling.
Meanwhile, the ICC has moved slowly on cases against Netanyahu and his defence minister despite widespread evidence and global scrutiny.
Francesca Albanese has shown that courage is not confined by gender, nationality, or title. At a time when silence and neutrality prevail, she has chosen to bear witness to atrocities, to name perpetrators and to urge action. Her bravery exposes not only the crimes of war, but also the complicity of those who choose to look away.
As the Arab world remains largely silent and Western governments continue to equivocate, Albanese’s voice has become a symbol of ethical resistance.
Her actions recall the verse of Ahmed Shawqi, the Prince of Poets: “Among the many types of courage, the greatest is the courage of conviction”. In her resolve, Francesca Albanese has lived up to those words.
Translated by Badr al Dhafari
The original version of this article was published in Arabic in the print edition of Oman newspaper on July 15