Francesa Albanese, the United Nations special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories, speaks at a conference, “A Cartography of Genocide: Israel’s Conduct in Gaza,” at the Roma Tre University, in Rome, Italy, Oct. 6, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Remo Casilli

Francesca Albanese, the United Nations’ special rapporteur on the human rights situation in the Palestinian territories, is once again at the center of controversy after appearing to mock the grieving mother of a young woman murdered during Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, massacre across southern Israel, drawing fresh criticism of the UN adviser’s conduct and public rhetoric.

Sonja Bohl-Dencker is the mother of Carolin Bohl, a 22-year-old German fashion student and aspiring model who was killed by Hamas terrorists at Kibbutz Nir Oz during the terrorist group’s invasion of the Jewish state more than two years ago.

Hamas-led Palestinian terrorists murdered about 1,200 people, kidnapped 251 hostages, and perpetrated widespread sexual violence during the onslaught, the biggest single-day massacre of Jews since the Holocaust.

In an interview with the German newspaper Die Welt, Bohl-Dencker recounted attending a film premiere in Berlin in March at which Albanese was the guest of honor and later took part in a question-and-answer session with the audience.

“I have never been in a room where I felt so much hatred. Everywhere I looked, there were keffiyehs, hostile slogans, and an overwhelming hatred directed at anything connected with Israel,” Bohl-Dencker said of her experience.

Citing a social media post referencing Bohl-Dencker’s remarks, Albanese — who has an extensive history of using her UN role to denigrate Israel and seemingly rationalize the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas’ attacks against the Jewish state — appeared to mock her, writing, “Change medication.”

Change medication.

— Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur oPt (@FranceskAlbs) June 8, 2026

“I vividly remember the friend of a relative of a victim of the Oct 7 massacre taking the floor. I replied compassionately. The audience showed zero sympathy toward Israel, because in the name of protecting Apartheid Israel, Germany is repressing its own citizens. But that’s not HATRED,” Albanese wrote in a separate post on X.

I vividly remember the friend of a relative of a victim of the Oct 7 massacre taking the floor. I replied compassionately. The audience showed zero sympathy toward Israel, bcs in the name of protecting Apartheid Israel Germany is repressing its own citizens. But that’s not HATRED

— Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur oPt (@FranceskAlbs) June 8, 2026

The remark drew additional scrutiny because Albanese mocked Bohl’s grieving mother even when her own family has claimed to have struggled with health issues requiring prescription medication, according to court filings challenging US sanctions imposed on the UN adviser.

Court documents indicate that Albanese was treated for stomach ulcers, while her husband suffered from anxiety and insomnia, with both attributing their health issues to the sanctions imposed on her.

This latest controversy is far from the first involving Albanese, who has a mandate from the UN to advise the international body on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In her position, which she has held since 2022, Albanese has faced consistent criticism over a pattern of incendiary anti-Israel remarks, with officials accusing her of inciting violence and hatred.

Earlier this year, top diplomats from Austria, Germany, Italy, the Czech Republic, and France called for Albanese’s resignation after she delivered yet another inflammatory tirade against the Jewish state.

During an Al Jazeera forum in Doha, Albanese described the state of Israel as “the common enemy of humanity” and accused the country of “planning and carrying out a genocide” during its defensive war against Hamas.

“It’s also true that never before has the global community seen the challenges that we all face, we who do not control large amounts of financial, algorithms, and weapons,” Albanese said at the time, appearing to invoke a long-standing antisemitic conspiracy that Jews control wealth and technology.

The anti-Israel UN official also accused Western nations of being complicit in the so-called “genocide” by supplying arms and financing Israel, while claiming that Western media helps defend the Jewish state by “amplifying the pro-apartheid, genocidal narrative.”

Albanese has previously referred to a “Jewish lobby” controlling the US and Europe, compared Israel to Nazi Germany, and stated that Hamas’ violence against Israelis — including rape, murder, and kidnapping — needs to be “put in context.”

Despite her history of antisemitic statements, the UN has consistently refused to fire Albanese, citing her status as one of its “independent experts.”

Last year, the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) faced intense pressure to block Albanese’s reappointment for another three-year term, with several countries and NGOs urging UN members to oppose the move due to her controversial remarks and alleged pro-Hamas stance.

Despite significant pressure and opposition, her mandate was confirmed to extend until 2028.

Last year, the UN launched a probe into Albanese for allegedly accepting a trip to Australia funded by pro-Hamas organizations.

In the past, she has also celebrated the anti-Israel protesters rampaging across US college campuses during the 2023-2024 academic year, saying they represent a “revolution” and give her “hope.”