Israeli Soldier Disputes Film's Claim of Systematic Civilian Killing

A documentary titled "NAZA" (נז״א), which received a special jury prize at the Venice Film Festival and a lengthy ovation, is sparking controversy in Israel. The film, directed by Yuval Abraham and Rachel Shor, reportedly presents a thesis that Israel operates a system for the "calculated mass murder of Palestinian civilians." The title itself, "NAZA," is an acronym for "Nezek Agabi," a military term meaning "collateral damage."

The film's official description asserts it reveals a system behind these actions, not isolated incidents. It is based in part on testimonies from 24 anonymous Israeli military and intelligence personnel. The author, who served in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), recounts a personal experience during Operation "Gideon's Chariots" that contradicts the film's premise.

During a large operational briefing, the author saw a slide listing objectives for an upcoming operation. The first objective stated was "moving the civilian population for their protection," not "destruction of the population" or "collateral damage." He witnessed this directive being implemented through the use of smoke shells to guide civilians away from areas of heavy fighting.

While acknowledging that war is complex and that isolated violations should be investigated, the author strongly disputes the film's central claim of a systematic Israeli policy of killing civilians. He argues that his own experience indicates civilian protection was integrated into operational planning as a primary objective. He plans to watch the full film when it becomes available but currently has serious reservations about its core assertions, which he characterizes as belief rather than fact-based analysis.