Outrage over UN official's claim that Israel doesn't have right to self-defence against Hamas

On Tuesday, during an address to the National Press Club of Australis, Francesca Albanese, U.N. special rapporteur to the occupied Palestinian territory claimed that Israel does not have the right to self-defend against Hamas.

She added that Israel's right to self-defence is “non-existent” under international law as it is not under threat from another state.

"Israel cannot claim the right of self-defence against a threat that emanates from a territory it occupies, from a territory that is under belligerent occupation," said Francesca in the event held in Canberra, Australia.

Additionally, she accused the country of its “unrelenting bombardment of Gaza” and other harmful actions.

“What Israel was allowed to do was to act to establish law and order, to repel the attack, neutralize whomever was carrying out the attacks and then proceed with law and order measures ... not waging a war,” she added.

Francesca's comment did not go unnoticed globally. Many took up to correct or criticise her claim.

Director of Touro Institute of Human Rights and the Holocaust, Anne Bayefsky, slammed Francesca's comments, saying they go “hand-in-hand with all her other legally indefensible claims” regarding the conflict.

In an email to Fox News Digital, Anne furthered her comment with: "Starting from October 7th until now, no major U.N. actor has said plainly that Israel has a right of self-defense. This is despite the fact that the U.N. Charter unambiguously declares every U.N. member has the inherent right of self-defense."

"Albanese’s abhorrent remarks go hand-in-hand with all her other legally-indefensible claims, such as defending a Palestinian 'right to resist' that 'requires violence.' Likewise, Navi Pillay, head of a U.N. so-called ‘Commission of Inquiry’ against Israel created back in 2021, has repeatedly spoken since October 7th of a Palestinian right of 'armed struggle.' These aren’t misguided lawyers. They are champions of hate, of antisemitism, of lethal violence against the Jewish people. It is an atrocity that they are given U.N. titles and a global platform of any kind at all,"

People over social media have made comments about the rapporteur's statement.

"Kofi Annan is rolling in his grave. This woman is the epitome of everything he hated about the UN.

Special Rapporteur is obviously just a fancy title for Propagandist," commented an X user.

Others, however, were supportive of her.

"Thank you for clearing that!"

“Yes exactly, the West is ignoring this FACT to justify Israeli acts of TERROR”

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