Israeli military rejects targeting claims in award-winning Gaza documentary NAZA

The military rebuttal

The Israel Defense Forces published a multi-page document formally rejecting the investigative documentary NAZA, which scrutinizes Israeli airstrike targeting protocols in the Gaza Strip. The military asserted that the film presents an incomplete account of strike authorizations, claiming the directors failed to submit allegations to the armed forces before the premiere. Military officials specifically denied claims that strikes were planned with expectations of hundreds of civilian casualties, maintaining that human personnel rather than autonomous artificial intelligence systems approve every target. The army emphasized that binding operational directives explicitly distinguish between combatants and uninvolved citizens, and contended that the film omitted procedures carried out by military legal advisors to mitigate civilian harm.

The film 'NAZA' presents a distorted, misleading and disingenuous picture of the IDF's target planning and striking process. The film's narrative is based on substantial factual errors stemming from manipulative misrepresentations of reality.

Testimonies from Tel Aviv rooftops

Directed by Israeli journalists Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, the 80-minute documentary is based on nearly three years of investigation and interviews with 24 anonymous Israeli military and intelligence personnel. Filmed at night on Tel Aviv rooftops with digitally altered voices and faces, the contributors describe internal procedures for selecting bombardment targets across Gaza. Testimonies describe instances where high civilian casualties were factored into strike planning, including a case where a suspected Hamas member's home was struck while other families sheltered inside. The documentary title derives from Nezek Agavi, the Hebrew military term for collateral damage. Co-produced by the British newspaper The Guardian, the project builds on investigative reporting published in +972 Magazine and Local Call.

The IDF's attempt to portray the 24 participants in 'NAZA' as junior-ranking officers involved only in the early stages of the targeting process is false.

Political condemnation and legal threats

The documentary generated severe domestic political pushback across Israel following its festival screenings. Israeli Culture Minister Miki Zohar described the project by Abraham and Szor as treason against the state and demanded the revocation of their citizenship. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also sharply criticized the film and echoed calls to strip the filmmakers of their nationality, alleging that the documentary fosters antisemitic incitement. Military representatives further argued that the production downplayed the Hamas-led attacks of 7 October 2023, in which over 1,200 people were killed and 250 taken hostage. Palestinian health authorities report that at least 74,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza during the conflict, which has prompted genocide accusations from a United Nations commission and international rights groups.

Festival reception and global distribution

NAZA premiered at the Venice International Film Festival in mid-September 2026, winning the Special Jury Prize after receiving a standing ovation lasting nearly 25 minutes. Following subsequent screenings at festivals in San Sebastián and New York, the film opened in commercial cinemas across Brazil and Portugal on 1 October 2026. The documentary is scheduled to open in United States theaters during the second week of October 2026 before streaming globally for free on The Guardian website in late November 2026. The filmmakers maintained that examining military conduct in Gaza does not diminish the gravity of the 7 October attacks.