Francesca Albanese, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories, defended Hamas as a legitimate political movement and administrative authority in the Gaza Strip.

Albanese highlighted that many people misunderstand Hamas, often associating it solely with armed fighters or violence, and emphasized its role as a political and administrative entity.

“So when you think of Hamas, you should not necessarily think of bloody killers, people armed from head to toe, or fighters. That’s not the case,” Albanese said. “People keep repeating the same narrative about Hamas, but I think most people don’t really know what Hamas is.”

The Special Rapporteur stressed that Hamas emerged as a political force after winning the 2006 elections and has since established itself as a de facto authority in Gaza. Under its administration, the movement has built schools, hospitals, and public facilities, providing essential services to the Palestinian population.

“When talking about Hamas, it is important to understand that we should not automatically think of bloodthirsty killers or heavily armed fighters. That is not the reality,” Albanese said. “Hamas built schools, public facilities, hospitals. It was just an authority, a de facto authority.”

Albanese’s remarks come amid intense criticism and political pressure from the United States. Earlier this month, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that Albanese had been added to the U.S. sanctions list, citing alleged efforts to pressure the International Criminal Court to investigate both the U.S. and Israel.

The U.S. Mission to the United Nations accused Albanese of escalating “anti-Semitic” and “anti-Israel” rhetoric and demanded her removal from office. Washington also called on UN Secretary-General António Guterres to dismiss her.

Despite these attacks, Albanese was recently reappointed as Special Rapporteur, a move widely interpreted as a demonstration of the UN’s support for her independent work in documenting conditions in the occupied Palestinian territories.

Her defense of Hamas underscores the importance of understanding the movement not just as a militant group, but as the governing authority responsible for the daily lives of Gaza’s residents, particularly in providing education, healthcare, and essential public services. (ILKHA)