Countering NAZA by setting the record straight

A 49-minute Israeli documentary featuring IDF commanders and intelligence officers speaking on the record about the war in Gaza has been released online as a direct response to NAZA, the Venice prize-winning film that alleges systematic civilian targeting by the army.

NAZA: The Real Story is free to watch and was shared by the Israeli Embassy to the United States on X shortly after its release, saying a new Israeli documentary was “setting the record straight”.

The film answers NAZA, directed by Israeli filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, which premiered in competition at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival, won the Special Jury Prize and received a 24.5-minute ovation. It was also well received at the New York Film Festival.

NAZA centres on interviews with 24 Israeli military and intelligence personnel, filmed at night on Tel Aviv rooftops with their faces and voices digitally altered. NAZA is an acronym for the Hebrew term nezek agavi, or collateral damage, used to indicate the number of civilian deaths accepted in a strike.

NPR‘s review said the film includes a claim that 500 such deaths were approved for a single high-value target, and describes the use of artificial intelligence in gathering intelligence on targets. The review noted that the anonymity of the interviewees is contested. Israel’s supporters say it discredits the testimony, while Palestine’s supporters have criticised the film for shielding people who describe their own involvement.