Francesca Albanese, the UN’s expert on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territory, has taken aim at the EU’s top female leader, Ursula von der Leyen, and recent US presidential hopeful Nikki Haley.

In a post on X, Albanese said that she was “proud” when women leaders speak. But not always.

“Sometimes, I am painfully ashamed,” she wrote in a post above the tagged social media accounts of the EU Commission President von der Leyen and Haley, a former US ambassador to the UN under then-President Donald Trump.

Von der Leyen has come under stinging criticism for what was described as her “uncontrolled” support for Israel at the start of the offensive on Gaza, including a letter signed by more than 800 EU officials criticising her apparent “indifference” to the slaughter of Palestinian civilians in Gaza.

Haley, who pulled out of the presidential race in March due to lack of support, was photographed writing “Finish Them!” on an Israeli artillery shell while visiting Israel.