Archive · 11 Sep 2026
Naza Documentary Challenges Israel’s Account of Gaza War
Naza is a documentary made by two Israeli filmmakers about the war in Gaza.
It includes interviews with soldiers and intelligence officers whose identities are hidden.
They say the military used computer systems and phone data to help find targets.
They also say some attacks were planned even though many civilians were expected to die.
The interviewees describe destroyed neighborhoods and civilians killed while seeking aid.
Israel says it tries to avoid civilian deaths and that Hamas operates in crowded areas.
The military also says a human must approve every attack.
The film was shown at the Venice Film Festival and received a long standing ovation.
The documentary Naza features 24 anonymous Israeli military insiders describing Gaza targeting and civilian deaths.
The insiders allege that AI-assisted systems helped identify targets in homes and civilian areas, with expected casualties built into strike decisions.
They describe hacked phones, family conversations, destroyed neighborhoods and deaths near aid distribution centers.
The Israel Defense Forces says human personnel remain responsible for approving strikes and Israel says it seeks to limit civilian casualties.
Directed by Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, Naza received a 25-minute standing ovation at its Venice premiere.
- Who
- Israeli filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor made the documentary using testimony from 24 anonymous Israeli military insiders.
- What
- Naza alleges that Israeli military targeting systems built mass civilian casualties into attacks during the Gaza war.
- When
- The documentary premiered at the Venice Film Festival on Thursday; the war began after Hamas’s October 2023 attack on Israel.
- Where
- The interviews were secretly filmed on rooftops in Tel Aviv and concern Israeli military operations in Gaza.
- Why
- The filmmakers said they made the film to examine the systems behind the mass killing of Palestinian civilians and to seek accountability.
Documentary’s allegations
Israeli official position
Civilian casualties
Documentary’s allegations
Interviewed officers say mass civilian deaths were routinely incorporated into targeting decisions and describe attacks in civilian homes and areas.
Israeli official position
Israel says it has gone to great lengths to avoid civilian casualties and blames Hamas for operating among civilians, a claim Hamas denies.
Use of artificial intelligence
Documentary’s allegations
The film’s sources describe AI-assisted systems using data from hacked mobile phones to identify targets, including people inside family homes.
Israeli official position
The Israeli military acknowledges using AI to help identify targets but says no strike occurs without human involvement.
Deaths near aid sites
Documentary’s allegations
Officers say civilians were killed in Israeli-designated no-go zones near aid distribution centers whose locations were not disclosed to residents.
Israeli official position
Israel acknowledged that civilians had been harmed at distribution centers and said it amended its rules of engagement.
- Film
- Naza
- Directors
- Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor
- Interviewees
- 24 anonymous Israeli military insiders, including intelligence officers and soldiers
- Premiere response
- A 25-minute standing ovation at the Venice premiere
- Reported Gaza death toll
- Gaza health authorities said more than 73,000 Palestinians had been killed
- Israeli military position
- The military acknowledges AI assistance but says a human approves every strike
- Competition
- Naza was among 21 films competing for Venice’s Golden Lion
