Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has demanded an investigation into the 24 anonymous Israeli military and intelligence whistleblowers featured in the documentary *NAZA*, which alleges AI-assisted civilian killings in Gaza. On Sunday, Netanyahu ordered the IDF chief of staff, Shin Bet director, and attorney general to identify and prosecute the participants for “serious information security violations, criminal libel, and harm to Israel’s diplomatic and security interests,” according to a statement from his office .
The film, directed by Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, includes testimony from current and former IDF members describing the use of AI systems to plan and execute airstrikes in Gaza, accepting civilian casualties—referred to as *NAZA*, a Hebrew acronym for “collateral damage.” Some accounts claim up to 500 civilian deaths were permitted in certain operations. The documentary, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival in September and won a Special Jury Prize, has sparked political backlash in Israel .
Netanyahu’s office stated the film presents a “false, misleading, and biased narrative that defames the State of Israel and the [IDF] internationally.” The IDF has previously denied the allegations, asserting that strike approvals are made by human personnel and that its rules prohibit deliberate attacks on civilians . The filmmakers and their families have faced threats, including calls to revoke their citizenship, and have gone into hiding .
