Israeli Gaza Documentary 'NAZA' Sparks Backlash After Venice Award

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - An Israeli documentary examining civilian deaths during the war in Gaza has triggered an intense political and military backlash inside Israel after winning the special jury prize at the Venice Film Festival, with senior officials accusing its directors of harming the country while the filmmakers defend the work as an investigation grounded in testimony from Israeli military insiders.

The documentary, "NAZA," was made by Israeli journalist Yuval Abraham and filmmaker Rachel Szor and was filmed secretly over three years, according to Associated Press correspondent Sam Metz.

The film features testimony from 24 Israeli military and intelligence personnel who describe targeting practices in Gaza and allege that Israeli forces knowingly carried out strikes in which significant civilian casualties were expected.

Among its central themes is the Israeli military's use of artificial intelligence to help identify potential Hamas targets.

Israel's military has acknowledged using AI-assisted systems in targeting but says a human operator makes the final decision before any strike.

The documentary's title refers to an Israeli military acronym associated with collateral damage, according to the filmmakers and producers.

The film is not yet in general release, but its reception at Venice, including a lengthy standing ovation and the jury prize, has already turned it into a major political controversy inside Israel.

Israeli Officials Condemn Film

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused the filmmakers of participating in what he described as antisemitic incitement against Israel.

"We are fighting global antisemitic incitement," Netanyahu said Monday, according to AP. "When it comes from within us, it's simply unbearable."

Culture Minister Miki Zohar went further, calling for Abraham and Szor to be stripped of their Israeli citizenship.

Israeli military chief Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir also asked military prosecutors to investigate whether soldiers who spoke to the filmmakers disclosed protected information.

Zamir described the documentary as an attempt to undermine Israel's right to defend itself.

Notably, AP reported that Netanyahu, cabinet ministers and opposition politicians criticizing the documentary acknowledged that they had not seen the film.

Doron Spielman, a spokesperson for Netanyahu's office, rejected the documentary's allegations and questioned the filmmakers' motives, accusing them of seeking international recognition by portraying Israel negatively.

Filmmakers Defend Testimony

Abraham has defended the documentary's reporting and verification process.

In an interview with Israel's Channel 13, he said the backlash demonstrated why many military participants had insisted on anonymity and argued that Israeli media had failed to sufficiently investigate civilian deaths and military rules of engagement during the war.

"Many soldiers told me they had been waiting for a chance to talk about this," he said, according to AP.

The Guardian, which co-produced the film with filmmaker Jonathan Glazer, said the military testimonies were genuine and described the participants as confidential journalistic sources.

In remarks reported by Democracy Now! broadcaster Amy Goodman, Abraham used his Venice acceptance speech to argue that the documentary's central allegations had already been documented in part by Palestinian journalists and that Israelis should confront evidence about the conduct of the war.

Democracy Now! characterized the conflict as a genocide, but that characterization remains politically and legally contested and is not presented here as an established conclusion.

A Broader Divide Over Gaza

The controversy surrounding "NAZA" reflects a wider divide between how the war is viewed inside Israel and internationally.

For many Israelis, the war remains rooted in the Hamas-led attack of Oct. 7, 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 people were taken hostage, according to figures cited by AP.

Israel has consistently maintained that its military operations are aimed at Hamas and that civilian casualties are an unintended consequence of fighting in densely populated areas where militants operate.

Internationally, however, Israel has faced mounting criticism over the scale of destruction and civilian deaths in Gaza, alongside allegations of war crimes and disproportionate use of force.

AP reported that nearly three years of conflict have killed at least 73,789 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its overall death toll.

The Israeli government disputes many allegations concerning its conduct and argues that international criticism often ignores Hamas' role in initiating the war and operating within civilian areas.

The filmmakers, by contrast, say testimony from Israeli soldiers and intelligence officials raises fundamental questions about how targets were selected and how civilian casualties were assessed.

Film Becomes Political Flashpoint

"NAZA" follows Abraham and Szor's previous documentary, "No Other Land," which won an Academy Award in 2025 and focused on Palestinians facing home demolitions and settler violence in the occupied West Bank.

Their new film has yet to reach Israeli, European or American cinemas, but its political impact is already significant.

For critics in Israel, the documentary risks presenting military actions without sufficient context and strengthening campaigns against the country abroad.

For its directors, the controversy underscores the need for public scrutiny of military decision-making and the experiences of Israeli personnel who participated in the war.

The sharp reaction before a broad public release has therefore turned "NAZA" into more than a film about Gaza. It has become part of Israel's internal debate over accountability, wartime conduct and how the country confronts criticism of its military actions.