NAZA documentary to be released online amid Israeli political backlash

The documentary film ‘NAZA’, directed by Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, will be released for free online in November following its recognition at the Venice Film Festival. The film features testimonies from 24 anonymous whistleblowers, including Israeli soldiers and intelligence officials, who allege that the Israeli military used AI technology to facilitate widespread civilian casualties in the Gaza Strip.

The film’s title is an acronym for a Hebrew phrase used by the military to denote ‘collateral damage’ or expected civilian harm during airstrikes. The release has sparked intense political backlash in Israel. Culture Minister Miki Zohar has called for the filmmakers to have their citizenship revoked on charges of treason, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the film’s claims as ‘shocking’.

Protesters have targeted the families of the directors, and the Israeli military has categorically denied the film's allegations. The military stated that the claims are unverifiable due to the anonymity of the interviewees and the lack of specific dates or locations, maintaining that human operators make strike decisions and efforts are made to protect civilians.