Venice Film Festival documentary NAZA sparks debate over Israeli military actions in Gaza after 25-minute ovation

The documentary *NAZA*, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival on Sept. 10, has sparked international debate over its portrayal of Israeli military actions in Gaza. The film, co-directed by Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, features anonymized interviews with 24 Israeli intelligence personnel detailing operations, including alleged mechanisms behind airstrikes. It received a 25-minute standing ovation, described by *The National* as potentially the longest in the festival’s history .
The Israeli military rejected the film’s claims in a statement, arguing that the anonymous testimonies could not be verified and that decisions on airstrikes are made by human personnel, not artificial intelligence. A spokesperson also accused Hamas of embedding military infrastructure in civilian areas and reiterated that soldiers are required to report any legal violations .
In France, the documentary’s themes resonated in a separate but related controversy. Actress Adèle Haenel’s segment on *La Grande Librairie*, where she denounced Israel’s actions in Gaza as a genocide, was removed from France Télévisions’ platforms. The public broadcaster cited a breach of pluralism guidelines and stated it was awaiting a legal review by l’Arcom .
*NAZA* has been described by *Haaretz* as a turning point, offering Israeli military perspectives on the destruction in Gaza .
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