World

Netanyahu Calls for Investigation into Sources of Gaza Documentary NAZA

By Al Jazeera Staff

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has demanded that the chief of general staff, the head of the Shin Bet, and the attorney general launch a comprehensive investigation into the participants of the documentary NAZA and prosecute them for serious information security violations, criminal libel, and harm to Israel’s diplomatic and security interests. The film, which won a special jury prize at the Venice International Film Festival and received a 25‑minute standing ovation, draws on testimony from 24 unnamed Israeli military whistleblowers who accuse the army of using AI‑powered targeting systems to kill civilians in Gaza. Netanyahu said the film presents a false, misleading, and biased narrative that defames the State of Israel and the military internationally, severely damaging Israel’s standing. The Israeli military, in a statement last month, rejected the whistleblowers’ allegations, calling some assertions “absurd” and contradictory, and insisted that the selection and approval of strikes are made by human personnel only, in line with the military’s guidelines. Army Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir has called for legal action against the participants and ordered an investigation into suspected leaks of classified military information used in the film’s production. The film’s directors, Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, have been accused of treason, and Netanyahu and Culture Minister Miki Zohar have threatened to revoke their Israeli citizenship. Last week, the head of Israel’s National Public Diplomacy Directorate, Tzipi Hotovely, awarded the creators of another film, NAZA: The Real Story, certificates of recognition for countering the “blood libels” made in the original NAZA film. The latter features testimony from soldiers refuting the original claims. In contrast, 43 Israeli rights groups defended the filmmakers of NAZA and denounced the threats being directed at them, according to Israel’s Channel 12 news. Israel’s war on Gaza began on October 7, 2023, after Hamas’s armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, and other Palestinian groups attacked southern Israel, killing 1,139 people and taking about 240 captive. Since then, Israel has killed at least 74,000 Palestinians, including at least 21,000 children, according to Gaza’s Ministry of Health.