Netanyahu Calls for Probe into Sources Behind Award‑Winning Gaza Documentary “NAZA”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took to X on Saturday night to demand a sweeping investigation into the people who supplied the testimonies for the documentary “NAZA”. The film, which recently won a special jury prize at the Venice International Film Festival, claims that Israel’s military employed artificial‑intelligence targeting systems that resulted in civilian deaths in Gaza.

“I want the chief of the general staff, the head of Shin Bet and the attorney general to open a comprehensive probe and to prosecute anyone involved for serious breaches of information security, criminal libel and damage to Israel’s diplomatic and security interests,” Netanyahu wrote, adding that the movie spreads a “false, misleading and biased narrative” that harms Israel’s standing abroad.

The documentary leans on the accounts of 24 unnamed Israeli military personnel who say they blew the whistle on a system that, in their view, turned a battlefield into a virtual kill‑zone. Their allegations are stark: that algorithms, rather than human judgement, helped select targets that included families, schools and hospitals.

Israel’s army pushed back hard. In a statement last month the Israel Defense Forces said it “categorically rejects” the whistle‑blowers’ claims, calling some of the assertions “absurd” and “contradictory”. According to the military, all strike selections are approved by human operators, in line with established guidelines.

Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir echoed the government’s tone, saying legal steps against the film’s participants should be considered and ordering an inquiry into possible leaks of classified material used during production.

The title “NAZA” itself is a grim nod to a military shorthand for the expected civilian toll of air strikes – an abbreviation of the Hebrew phrase for “collateral damage”. It’s a provocative choice that has only intensified the controversy.

Beyond the political uproar, the film’s artistic merit has been undeniable. At the Venice Festival it received a historic 25‑minute standing ovation and the special jury prize, a rare honour for a documentary dealing with such a fraught subject.

Back home, the backlash has turned personal. Directors Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor have been labeled “traitors” by some right‑wing activists, and both Netanyahu and Culture Minister Miki Zohar have floated the idea of stripping them of Israeli citizenship. In a parallel move, the head of Israel’s National Public Diplomacy Directorate, Tzipi Hotovely, handed out certificates to the creators of a counter‑documentary, “NAZA: The Real Story”, which features soldiers refuting the original claims.

Meanwhile, a coalition of 43 Israeli rights groups rallied to defend the original filmmakers, condemning the threats as an attack on freedom of expression. They argue that silencing dissent only deepens the divide.

The controversy unfolds against the broader backdrop of Israel’s war in Gaza, which began after the Oct 7 attacks by Hamas. Since then, Gaza’s Ministry of Health says at least 74,000 Palestinians – including more than 21,000 children – have been killed. The “NAZA” saga adds yet another layer to an already volatile regional drama.