An Italian journalist, Gabriele Nunziati, was fired from his position at Agenzia Nova after posing a question to a European Commission official about ‘Israel's’ responsibility for rebuilding Gaza.

Nunziati drew a comparison between the EU's stance on Russia funding Ukraine's reconstruction and the lack of similar demands on ‘Israel’ for Gaza.

Specifically, he asked: “You’ve been repeating several times that Russia should pay for the reconstruction of Ukraine. Do you believe that Israel should pay for the reconstruction of Gaza since they have destroyed almost all its civilian infrastructure?”

Pinho responded briefly, calling it “an interesting question” but declining to comment further. The exchange was captured on video and went viral.

Spokesperson Francesco Civita said that Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine differed fundamentally from ‘Israel's’ assault on Gaza, and Nunziati had failed to grasp this distinction despite explanations.