Gaza City – Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, has asserted that there is no effective ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, citing Israel’s continued killing of civilians. Albanese further stated that Tel Aviv is pursuing a policy of ethnic cleansing in Palestine.
Albanese’s remarks follow an interview conducted on December 6th with Foreign Policy magazine on the sidelines of the Doha Forum 2025. The interview, published yesterday, underscored the dire situation in the region.
In the interview, Albanese emphasized that the fundamental condition for ending violence in the occupied Palestinian territories is adherence to international law. She pointed out that the International Court of Justice has ruled that Israel must withdraw its forces and end its illegal occupation of Palestinian territories, a ruling Tel Aviv has yet to comply with.
Addressing the 20-point ceasefire plan proposed by US President Donald Trump, which purportedly went into effect on October 10th, Albanese stated, “There is no real peace without ending the occupation and ending Israeli rule over the lives of Palestinians.” She deemed the UN Security Council’s approval of Trump’s plan on November 17th a “betrayal of 80 years of international law development.”
Albanese explained that the Security Council resolution contradicts international law, which recognizes the right to self-determination. “There is no justification for creating any force that the people have not decided on and have not been consulted on,” she stated.
She called for a halt to arms transfers and trade with Israel, which she described as a “colonial state,” arguing that the law of state responsibility obliges states not to assist a state that commits international crimes.
Regarding the sanctions imposed on her by the United States in July for her involvement with the International Criminal Court in documenting Israeli crimes against Palestinians, Albanese stated that she was “punished merely for doing her job of documenting violations.” She added that the US sanctions against her confirm that the global system is “weak and afraid,” suggesting it fears the exposure of these violations.
