The Latest: Trump administration sanctions UN investigator probing abuses in Gaza
Jul 10, 2025, 5:20 AM
President Donald Trump speaks during a lunch with African leaders in the State Dining Room of the White House, Wednesday, July 9, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS
(AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
The Trump administration has announced it’s issuing sanctions against an independent investigator tasked with probing human rights abuses in the Palestinian territories, the latest effort by the United States to punish critics of Israel’s 21-month war in Gaza.
The State Department’s decision to impose sanctions on Francesca Albanese, the U.N. special rapporteur for the West Bank and Gaza, follows an unsuccessful U.S. pressure campaign to force the international body to remove her from her post. It also comes as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is visiting Washington this week to meet with President Donald Trump and other officials about the war in Gaza and more.
It’s unclear what the practical effect the sanctions will have and whether the independent investigator will be able to travel to the U.S. with diplomatic paperwork.
Here’s the latest:
They met Thursday in Malaysia as tensions between the countries rise over Moscow’s increasing attacks on Ukraine and whether Russia’s leader is serious about a peace deal.
Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held talks in Kuala Lumpur on the sidelines of the annual Association of Southeast Asian Nations Regional Forum, which brings together 10 ASEAN members and their most important diplomatic partners including Russia, China, Japan, South Korea, European nations and the U.S.
The meeting lasted around 50 minutes. Rubio was seen winking at Lavrov afterward as reporters shouted questions, which they both ignored.
The meeting was their second encounter since Rubio took office, although they’ve spoken by phone several times.
▶ Read more about Rubio at the ASEAN forum
The Kremlin insisted Thursday that the resumption of weapons deliveries between the United States and Ukraine and harsher rhetoric from Trump would not stall peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv.
“We are still waiting for a signal from Kyiv’s representatives as to their desire or unwillingness to enter into a third round of direct negotiations,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told journalists. “We have always said that we would prefer to use peaceful political and diplomatic means. But until this happens, the military operation continues,” Peskov said, using the Kremlin’s euphemism for the invasion of Ukraine.
