United Nations Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese cited suicides among Israeli soldiers during a public appearance in which she accused Israel of committing grave crimes in Gaza, remarks delivered as Georgetown University confirmed it has formally ended any institutional affiliation with her following U.S. sanctions.
Speaking at an event in Europe, Albanese said that “many young Israelis” were “taking their lives” because they could not live with “the demons unleashed by what they have done to the people in Gaza.” She did not provide data or sources to support the statement.
The comment was made as part of a broader address in which Albanese accused Israel of genocide, apartheid, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. Israel rejects those allegations.
During the same appearance, Albanese acknowledged the October 7 Hamas terror attack on Israel, describing it as horrific and saying crimes were committed against Israeli civilians. She added that civilians should never be targeted, whether Israeli or Palestinian, but argued that Israel’s military response and long-standing policies are the central issue.
Georgetown confirms disaffiliation
On Thursday, Georgetown University confirmed it has cut all official ties with Albanese following U.S. State Department sanctions imposed in July.
“Ms. Albanese has no official affiliation with Georgetown and was never a member of our faculty or staff,” a university spokesperson said in an email. “Institutions are prohibited by federal law from affiliating with individuals subject to U.S. sanctions.”
Albanese had previously been listed as an affiliated scholar at Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service Institute for the Study of International Migration. Her profile was removed in 2025.
The university said the removal was part of a broader cleanup of expired or inactive affiliate listings but noted that federal law bars affiliations with sanctioned individuals.
Sanctions and prior statements
The U.S. government sanctioned Albanese in July, barring her from entering the United States or engaging with U.S. institutions. When announcing the sanctions, Secretary of State Marco Rubio cited what he described as a pattern of antisemitic statements and actions targeting Israel through international legal mechanisms.
Albanese has denied the accusations and said the sanctions are retaliation for her criticism of Israel. She has pointed to a prior apology for a 2014 Facebook post in which she wrote that the United States was “subjugated by the Jewish lobby,” language she later said was offensive and inaccurate.
The United Nations has condemned the sanctions, calling for their reversal and warning they could undermine the independence of UN-appointed experts.
Albanese continues to serve as UN special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories.