US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday he is imposing sanctions on Francesca Albanese, the United Nations' special rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian territories, over her efforts to have the International Criminal Court take action against US and Israeli officials,

Israeli Ambassador to the UN says US sanctions on Francesca Albanese are justified due to her 'relentless and biased campaign against Israel and the United States' that 'crossed the line from human rights advocacy into political warfare.

Mr Rubio also accused Ms Albanese of having "spewed unabashed antisemitism, expressed support for terrorism, and open contempt for the United States, Israel, and the West." The move is likely to provoke a fierce backlash from those who argue for accountability over the civilian death toll from Israel's military offensive in Gaza.