Francesca Albanese, a United Nations expert who recently published a report alleging that Israel committed genocide in Gaza during its military campaign against Hamas, revealed on Wednesday that she has been receiving threats throughout her tenure.

Albanese, the Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in the West Bank and Gaza, presented her report titled "Anatomy of a Genocide" to the UN Human Rights Council on Tuesday. Israel promptly rejected the report, labeling it as baseless.

When asked about the threats she has faced due to her work on the report, Albanese confirmed, "Yes, I do receive threats." However, she maintained that these threats have not deterred her commitment to her work.

While Albanese did not provide details about the nature or source of the threats, she acknowledged facing pressure since the beginning of her mandate.

Israel has criticized Albanese's findings, accusing her of delegitimizing the existence of the State of Israel. However, Albanese denied these accusations, asserting that her report highlights intentional actions by Israel's executive and military leadership to justify violence against Palestinians.

Albanese's report underlines that Israel's policies have facilitated genocidal violence against Palestinians in Gaza. Israel's diplomatic mission in Geneva condemned the use of the term "genocide," emphasizing that its military actions target Hamas, not Palestinian civilians.

Francesca Albanese, an Italian lawyer and academic, is among the many independent human rights experts appointed by the UN to report on specific issues. It's important to note that the views expressed by special rapporteurs do not necessarily reflect those of the entire UN body. (ILKHA)