Israeli Documentary on Gaza Killings Using AI Wins Venice Award

The new documentary "Naza," which examines alleged systematic killings of civilians in Gaza by Israel using artificial intelligence, has won the Special Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival. The film, directed by Oscar-winning Israeli journalists Yuval Abraham and Rachel Soriano, was lauded by some critics and received a 25-minute standing ovation following its premiere.

"Naza," added late to the festival's program, features testimonies from Israeli military and intelligence personnel who describe what they claim is the systematic killing of Palestinian civilians. The 80-minute film is based on interviews with 24 anonymous Israeli sources. Interviewees reportedly described feeling like they were operating a "killing factory" or playing a deadly video game when using AI-powered targeting systems to strike Gaza.

Upon receiving the award, Abraham stated that "at least six Palestinian children" had been killed in Gaza in the ten days since the festival began. He asserted that the mass killings are systematic and planned, not accidental, and involve policies of dehumanization. The film's title, "Naza," is described in the documentary as an Israeli intelligence term for the expected number of civilian casualties in an airstrike.

"Naza" received a 25-minute standing ovation, reportedly the longest in the festival's history, surpassing the 24 minutes for last year's "Farha." The film was noted by Screen magazine as "deeply painful and impactful," while The Hollywood Reporter called it "infuriating... and deeply shaming and disgusting of the current Israeli system."

Abraham emphasized the importance of Israelis seeing the film, stating, "Our country is the one committing these crimes." The ongoing conflict in Gaza, which began after the October 7th Hamas attack, has resulted in over 73,500 Palestinian deaths and more than 174,000 injured, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health.