Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the attorney general, the military chief, and the head of the Shin Bet security service to investigate and prosecute the anonymous soldiers interviewed in the documentary film NAZA, Truthout reported. Netanyahu demanded that the agencies identify all military personnel involved in the project and pursue charges including serious information security offenses, criminal defamation, and harming Israel’s diplomatic and security interests.
The Documentary and Its Disclosures
Released in September at the Venice Film Festival, NAZA features anonymous interviews with 24 Israeli soldiers and officers. The film examines remote mass killings of Palestinians in Gaza over the past three years, utilizing obscured faces and altered voices while participants speak with journalist and director Yuval Abraham on rooftops in Tel Aviv. The title of the film is a Hebrew military acronym for collateral damage, referencing the number of Palestinian civilians deemed acceptable to kill in a bombing with a military target.
🛑Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is calling for a comprehensive criminal investigation into participants in the film “Naza,” citing suspicions of serious information security violations, criminal defamation, and harm to Israel’s national interests.Netanyahu has…
One soldier interviewed in the documentary stated that the military approved the killing of 500 Gazans for one target. The project details how Israel’s artificial intelligence systems, including programs identified in previous reports as “Lavender” and “Where’s Daddy,” have facilitated remote strikes against tens of thousands of individuals inside their homes alongside their families. Abraham noted that the military tracked children, including a 12-year-old girl, through these automated platforms prior to executing strikes.
Government Backlash and Defense of the Film
The Israeli government launched swift attacks against the film and its creators following its premiere. Netanyahu compared the release of NAZA to launching dozens of ballistic missiles at Israel, while the culture minister and the prime minister called for revoking the citizenship of directors Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor on accusations of treason and defamation. The IDF chief characterized the project as a blood libel and an attack on the State of Israel.
In response to the mounting pressure, civil society organizations such as B’Tselem condemned the incitement and threats of violence directed at the filmmakers. Meanwhile, The Guardian, which produced the project, defended the journalistic rigor behind the production. A Guardian spokesperson stated that the vetting process included leaked classified documents, detailed verification of specific strikes, and corroboration from more than 100 sources familiar with IDF systems, including senior-ranking commanders directly involved in authorizing strikes.
Counter-Productions and Public Diplomacy
As the international debate surrounding the documentary intensified, the Israeli government produced a rival film intended to counter NAZA. Last week, the Israeli government announced that it was awarding the filmmakers for their contribution to Israeli public diplomacy.
The core revelations build upon earlier investigations published by The Guardian, +972 Magazine, and Local Call. Abraham observed that the aerial bombardment campaign highlighted in the documentary was driven largely by members of the center-left opposition against Netanyahu, underscoring widespread participation in operations that resulted in thousands of civilian casualties across Gaza.
