Israeli Documentary on Gaza Operations Wins Venice Film Festival Award

The Israeli documentary "NAZA," co-directed by Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, has received the Jury Prize at the Venice International Film Festival. This marks another achievement for the directors, who previously won an Oscar for their film "No Other Land."

The film, according to its official synopsis, examines the "mechanisms behind mass killings in Gaza," based on testimonies from 24 Israeli soldiers and officers. The title "NAZA" is derived from the Hebrew military acronym for "collateral damage." One officer, speaking anonymously, stated, "There was systematic mass killing."

During its premiere at the Venice festival on Thursday, the film garnered a 25-minute standing ovation, the longest of the festival so far this year. Co-director Yuval Abraham told Reuters, "We show in our film a targeting system designed to target people in civilian areas, inside their families' homes." He added that the collateral damage could sometimes reach "500 NAZA," meaning the destruction of entire villages or neighborhoods.

Intelligence officers described an AI-powered system that identifies targets using data from thousands of hacked mobile phones. They claimed that the phrase "dad is home," picked up from a child's phone, could be sufficient grounds for an airstrike. The officers also discussed civilian deaths in areas designated by Israel as no-go zones, including near aid distribution centers.

All interviews were filmed on rooftops in Tel Aviv at night, with brief scenes of destruction from Gaza shown only at the end. The directors aimed to highlight the contrast between daily life in Israel's commercial capital and the devastation occurring just about 60 kilometers away. "We wanted to show how life goes on in Tel Aviv," said Szor.

Last year, the Israeli journalist and Abraham won an Oscar for "No Other Land," which addressed Israeli demolitions in the West Bank. Szor noted that many Israelis lack empathy for Palestinian civilians, with a significant portion of Israeli society openly stating there are no innocents in Gaza. Abraham expressed doubt that Israel would prosecute anyone for civilian killings without external pressure, stating, "I hope justice and accountability for crimes will be achieved... This depends on holding those responsible accountable and on the political will of the United States and the European Union."

The Israeli military did not respond to Reuters' request for comment on the documentary.