The European Union "deeply regrets" the U.S. decision to impose sanctions on Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories, an EU spokesperson said on Friday.

Italian lawyer Francesca Albanese serves as special rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories, one of dozens of experts appointed by the 47-member U.N. Human Rights Council to report on specific global issues.

The United Nations is pushing back against the United States after President Trump’s administration on Wednesday imposed sanctions on Francesca Albanese, the U.N. special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories.

Rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, the Israeli army has pursued a brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7, 2023, killing over 57,800 Palestinians so far, most of them women and children. The relentless bombardment has destroyed the enclave and led to food shortages and the spread of diseases.

Sixteen Palestinians have been martyred since dawn on Saturday in Israeli occupation airstrikes targeting various areas across Gaza Strip.According to the Palestinian news