Amid the growing rift between Italy and Israel, a magazine cover has surfaced online, sparking wider diplomatic tensions between the two countries.
Days before Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced the suspension of the defence agreement with Israel, weekly magazine L’Espresso upset Tel Aviv over its cover image.
The cover image of the Italian magazine, dated April 10, 2026, shows an armed Israeli settler filming a Palestinian woman during a raid in the occupied West Bank.
Highlighting the growing Zionist ideology of “Greater Israel”, the magazine called out Israel for its actions in the Gaza Strip, occupied West Bank, occupied Golan Heights, and now Lebanon.
Following Israel’s actions in the West Asia region and ongoing ground invasion of Lebanon, the Italian magazine released the image, which was originally taken in 2025.
“The annexation of the West Bank, with soldiers complicit with the settlers. Gaza annihilated. The advance into Lebanon. The breached border in Syria. The war against Iran. Ethnic cleansing and massacres. This is how the Zionist right is shaping Greater Israel,” read the caption of the cover image posted on the magazine’s official social media handles.
The issue titled ‘L’Abuso’ (The Abuse), the magazine contrasted the grin of the Israeli man with a “ained Arab girl”, further reflecting the human cost due to Israel’s military operations in the region.
Israel slams ‘manipulative use’ of image
Israeli ambassador to Italy Jonathan Peled took to X, slamming the magazine for sharing the image.
“We strongly condemn the manipulative use of the recent cover of L’Espresso. The image distorts the complex reality with which Israel must coexist, promoting stereotypes and hatred. Responsible journalism must be balanced and fair,” the Israeli envoy wrote on X.
Responding to other messages on the social media platform, the Israeli official further alleged that the image was generated by artificial intelligence, which is false.
The cover photo in L’Espresso is a real photograph taken by Italian photojournalist Pietro Masturzo near Hebron during the October 2025 olive harvest.
Diplomatic rift grows
Days after this cover was condemned by Israeli officials, Italy served another blow to the state by suspending its defence agreement over Israeli’s ongoing military operations in Lebanon.
Italian PM Meloni and her right-wing government, which has been one of the closest allies for Israel in Europe, have criticized actions in Lebanon, which has killed over 1,500 people and displaced nearly a million.
“When there are things we don’t agree with, we act accordingly. In light of the current situation, the government has decided to suspend the automatic renewal of the defence agreement with Israel,” Meloni told reporters on the sidelines of a wine fair in Verona, northern Italy.
However, Israel downplayed the announcement and stated that the country never had a security agreement with Italy.
The Israel-Italy deal was signed in 2003 under the Silvio Berlusconi government. The memorandum entered into force in 2006 and was subject to automatic renewals every five years, unless one of the parties withdrew.
Earlier in April, Italy also summoned the Israeli ambassador after shots were fired a an Italian convoy in a UN mission in Lebanon.
“It is completely unacceptable that personnel operating under the U.N. flag should be put at risk by irresponsible actions such as today’s, which are in clear violation of U.N. Resolution 1701,” said Meloni separately on the incident.