Italian Journalist Fired After Question on Israel

Italian news agency Agenzia Nova terminated its collaboration with journalist Gabriele Nunziati on October 27, days after he questioned the European Commission about a possible Israeli contribution to the reconstruction of Gaza. The case has sparked a wide debate on press freedom in Europe. During a European Commission press briefing on October 13, 2025, Gabriele Nunziati had asked spokesperson Paula Pinho, considering that the European Union is confiscating Russian assets in Europe for the reconstruction of Ukraine, if it intended to proceed similarly against the State of Israel to finance the reconstruction of Gaza. The spokesperson had responded briefly, stating that she had “no comment to make at this stage.” Two weeks later, Agenzia Nova notified the journalist of the termination of his collaboration, deeming the question “technically incorrect” and stating that it had caused “institutional embarrassment” after the segment was broadcast on several foreign media outlets, particularly channels considered close to Russia or Islamist movements. The European Commission clarified its position on November 5. In a statement reported by Eunews, a Commission spokesperson affirmed that the organization “played no role in this decision” and that it remains “willing to answer all journalists’ questions, whatever they may be.” The institution reiterated its commitment “to freedom of expression and media independence.” The case quickly mobilized several professional organizations. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) condemned Nova’s decision, seeing it as “an attack on editorial freedom” and demanded the journalist’s reinstatement. In Italy, the National Federation of the Italian Press (FNSI) also reacted, calling the contract termination a “worrying deviation,” while several European newsrooms reiterated the importance of diverse questioning within community institutions. For its part, Agenzia Nova maintains that the decision is based on “strictly professional” and not political criteria. The agency argues that the phrasing of the question did not meet “the expected technical standards” of an accredited correspondent in Brussels. Gabriele Nunziati, for his part, stated in declarations to several Italian media outlets that he had “only done his job” and that his question “reflected a legitimate journalistic interest on a topic of international current affairs.” The incident occurs in a tense context for media coverage of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Several European correspondents have recently reported increasing editorial pressures related to the sensitivity of the subject. Jean Venel Casséus