A new documentary titled NAZA presents one-on-one interviews with 24 Israeli soldiers and intelligence personnel conducted by Israeli journalist Yuval Abraham. Filmed on rooftops in Tel Aviv at night, the subjects’ identities and voices have been digitally altered to maintain anonymity. They discuss their participation in airstrikes that have killed tens of thousands of Palestinian civilians in Gaza since the Hamas-led attacks on Oct. 7, 2023.
The film has generated significant controversy in Israel and internationally. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli officials have criticized the filmmakers, with Netanyahu threatening to revoke their citizenship. The use of anonymized sources has been debated, with some arguing it undermines credibility while others contend anonymity was essential for the documentary to be made at all. Much of the underlying reporting has been published previously in outlets including +972 Magazine, Local Call, and The Guardian, which co-produced the film.
The documentary examines the mechanics and logistics of military operations rather than focusing on motivations. It explains the term NAZA, an acronym for nezek agavi, Hebrew for collateral damage, which refers to the number of civilian casualties deemed acceptable in targeting military objectives. The film details surveillance capabilities, including hacking into Palestinians’ phones, the use of artificial intelligence for target identification, and a tracking method called Where’s Daddy that uses children’s communications to locate targeted individuals.
The filmmakers use imagery of modern-day Tel Aviv at night, capturing everyday scenes of Israeli citizens in their homes and routines, contrasted implicitly with the devastation in Gaza. According to the film, more than 73,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since Oct. 7, with the death toll continuing to rise. One interview subject acknowledges the Israeli military’s actions constitute genocide. The 77-minute film aims to expose the scale and systematic nature of civilian casualties resulting from military operations.
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