The United States has sanctioned the United Nations’s special rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories over her criticism of Israel.

Francesca Albanese is pushing for the International Criminal Court to take action against American and Israeli officials, companies and executives, Marco Rubio, the secretary of state, said in a statement on Wednesday.

Mr Rubio accused Albanese of bias and said her efforts to prompt the court to “investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute” US and Israeli citizens have infringed on those countries’ sovereignty.

“We will not tolerate these campaigns of political and economic warfare, which threaten our national interests and sovereignty,” Mr Rubio said.

A spokesman for Ms Albanese is yet to comment.

Ms Albanese, an Italian lawyer and academic, has called on states at the UN human rights council to impose an arms embargo and cut off trade and financial ties with Israel, alleging it is waging a “genocidal campaign” in Gaza.

In a report published earlier this month she accused more than 60 companies, including major arms manufacturers and technology firms, of involvement in supporting Israeli settlements and military actions in Gaza.

Report calls to sever ties with Israel

The report called on companies to sever ties with Israel and for executives implicated in alleged violations of international law to face legal action.

Ms Albanese is one of dozens of independent human rights experts mandated by the United Nations to report on specific themes and crises.

The views expressed by special rapporteurs do not reflect those of the global body as a whole.

Since returning to office on Jan 20, Donald Trump has stopped US engagement with the UN Human Rights Council, extended a halt to funding for the Palestinian relief agency UNRWA and ordered a review of the UN cultural agency UNESCO.

The US president has also announced plans to quit the Paris climate deal and the World Health Organisation.