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"Many countries continue to look the other way, normalize the suffering (in Gaza), and even profit from it," Albanese told reporters in Geneva, adding that "arms trade and diplomatic engagement with Israel continue unabated."
She stressed that the matter is "not only morally wrong, but also illegal," and called for "holding accountable the very people who issued orders to continue trading and transferring weapons to Israel."
UN Special Rapporteurs are independent experts mandated by the UN Human Rights Council, but they do not speak for the United Nations.
The Italian expert faced severe criticism from Israel and some of its allies over her continued criticism and accusations that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza.
In an unprecedented move, Washington imposed sanctions on Albanese in July, describing her work as "biased and malicious." The UN rapporteur emphasized that the US sanctions against her, along with those against ICC judges, were "unacceptable."
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She noted that the United States has supported the Israeli government for decades "militarily, politically, diplomatically, strategically, and rhetorically," but warned that this support has reached a point of no return under the administration of President Donald Trump.
She said that what is happening in Gaza "is not the first known genocide" at the time of its occurrence, noting that the Holocaust and genocide in both Bosnia and Rwanda "were also well known among people at the time."
Albanese noted that "this genocide is different in that it is openly incited, cynically denied, relentlessly supported, and weaponized, while those who oppose it are silenced, beaten, criminalized, and discredited."
She described what was happening as "the shame of our time," and said she had asked "prime ministers, presidents, foreign ministers, and world leaders" the same question: "How do you sleep? When will you act?"
With American support, Israel has been committing genocide in Gaza since October 7, 2023, leaving 64,905 Palestinians dead and 164,926 wounded, most of them children and women, and causing a famine that has claimed the lives of 425 Palestinians, including 145 children.