italian Journalist fired After Questioning Gaza Reconstruction Funding
Brussels – Gabriele Nunziati, brussels correspondent for Italian news agency Agenzia Nova, was terminated in late October after posing a question to a European Commission spokesperson regarding potential Israeli financial obligation for rebuilding Gaza. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its European counterpart (EFJ) have protested the dismissal, calling it a violation of press freedom.
Nunziati’s question, posed to Paula pinho on October 13, drew a parallel between calls for Russia to fund the reconstruction of Ukraine and the possibility of Israel contributing to Gaza’s rebuilding, given the extensive destruction of civilian infrastructure. Specifically, he asked, “You have repeatedly said that Russia shoudl pay for the reconstruction of Ukraine, the journalist asked the spokesperson, who did not wish to comment. Do you think Israel should also pay for the reconstruction of Gaza, given that it has destroyed much of the Gaza Strip and its civilian infrastructure?“
Agenzia Nova justified the October 27 termination to Fanpage by stating the question had “completely inappropriate and wrong” and left the agency ”in embarrassment.” The agency differentiated the situations, arguing Russia “invaded Ukraine, a sovereign country, without being provoked,” while Israel ”suffered armed aggression.”
Nunziati defended his inquiry in an Instagram post, stating, “My question can onyl be considered biased if one refuses to see reality. It is a fact that Israel has almost completely razed Gaza. This is not an opinion.” He has received support from Italian journalist colleagues.
The IFJ and EFJ jointly condemned the firing, asserting, “Criticizing a journalist for asking disturbing questions based on verified and confirmed information is deeply shocking and constitutes a blatant disregard for the fundamental principles of press freedom.“
