Israel Defense Forces reject allegations in Gaza war film

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have issued a formal rejection of allegations made in the film ‘Collateral Damage’ (also referred to as ‘NZA’), a production by Yuval Abraham and Rachel Shor in collaboration with The Guardian. The film, which was recognized at the Venice Film Festival, features testimonies from 24 Israeli soldiers and intelligence officers regarding target selection and civilian impact during the war in Gaza.

The IDF stated that the film relies on anonymous testimonies that cannot be verified, making it impossible to confirm the identities or service roles of the individuals involved. The military argued that the film’s claims regarding national and military strategy fall outside the knowledge of low-ranking soldiers and noted that certain intelligence officers interviewed would not have been involved in the specific situations described.

Furthermore, the IDF criticized the film for using legal terminology incorrectly and containing internal contradictions. The military specifically dismissed claims that unintentional damage from legitimate strikes was deliberate or constituted ‘genocide,’ calling such assertions absurd. Regarding the use of technology, the IDF clarified that artificial intelligence systems do not make autonomous decisions, asserting that ‘decisions on the selection and approval of attacks in the IDF are made solely by human personnel.’