2 July 2025 | 10:17 CAT
3-minute read

UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese has released a report naming several US companies among those aiding Israel’s occupation and genocide. The report is scheduled to be presented at a news conference in Geneva on Thursday. It has prompted the US to call on the United Nations to remove Albanese from her position on the grounds of “virulent antisemitism and support for terrorism.”

Albanese, an Italian international lawyer who has held the position of special rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories since May 2022, is noted for her bold critiques of colonial and settler-colonial dimensions of Israel’s policies.

Albanese urges the companies to cease operations linked to the military campaign. Companies from other countries, including Italy, Japan, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, China, Mexico, France, and the United Kingdom, are also in the report. Listed companies include arms manufacturers like Lockheed Martin and Leonardo, construction and machinery companies like Caterpillar and HD Hyundai, and tech firms like Alphabet, Amazon, Microsoft, and IBM for surveillance and cloud infrastructure that aid military operations.

The report highlights the lucrative nature of these corporate ties, which help sustain the Israeli genocidal campaign and apartheid.

Many companies have either not replied or denied any wrongdoing, while Israel rejects the characterisation of genocide.

In this week’s Media Lens, Hafidh Ibrahim noted that, unlike Middle Eastern outlets, Western media outlets provided sparse coverage of the report itself and focused more on Israel’s response to the report.

“It has been covered. But in the past few hours, coverage may be overshadowed by two things: One is the US’s call for Albanese to be removed… and two, the Trump ceasefire announcement,” Hafidh Ibrahim said.

A significant section of her analysis frames the violence in Gaza as part of a settler-colonial project. She connects the pattern of forced displacement, land control, and erasure of Palestinians with settler-colonial logic—comparing it with historical examples like the US, Canada, and Australia.

Albanese said, “Genocidal intent and practices are integral to the ideology and processes of settler”colonialism,”—and settler-colonialism aims to displace and eliminate Indigenous groups, with genocide at its extreme.

She explicitly describes the campaign as “genocide as colonial erasure,” asserting it’s not an abrupt outbreak but the climax of decades-long settler-colonial intent.

The report has the potential to make a positive difference in the medium to long term, Hafidh Ibrahim notes, particularly if the ICJ rules in favour of South Africa in its genocide case against Israel, in which instance the report will be used as evidence and the companies will then be held liable.

Additionally, the information in the report can empower consumers, activists, and policymakers to confront the economic structures enabling the ongoing occupation.

The report’s credibility and significance are further reinforced by the political pressure it has provoked. Despite the Trump administration’s push for Albanese’s removal, her mandate has been extended until 2028, and previous attempts to oust her, including those in April this year, have failed.

Ultimately, Ibrahim emphasised that Albanese’s work plays a critical role in keeping the humanitarian crisis in Gaza visible. “There were 100 people killed yesterday in Gaza, most of them looking for aid,” he said.

Reports like this prevent the genocide from being quietly buried beneath other news stories. Even when global attention shifts, Albanese’s findings ensure that Gaza remains part of the conversation.

Listen to the Media Lens on Sabaahul Muslim with Moulana Sulaimaan Ravat.