Gazan Journalist Reflects on "Collateral Damage" Film, AI Targeting

A Palestinian journalist from Gaza, currently based in the UK, reflects on the film "Naza" (Collateral Damage), which exposes the mindset and methods of Israeli soldiers involved in operations in Gaza. The film, produced by The Guardian and James Wilson, reportedly does not show graphic violence but focuses on the decision-making process before strikes, highlighting how human lives are quantified and deemed acceptable losses.

The journalist, Mahmoud Mushtaha, draws parallels between the film's accounts and personal losses, including his cousin Ra'ed Majd Mushtaha and friend Yousef Maher Dawas, who were killed during the conflict. He recounts soldiers describing their actions as "missions" or "video games," with one even stating it was "fun." Mushtaha expresses shock not at the scale of killing, but at the practiced ease with which soldiers discussed destroying lives, often referring to targets as mere data points.

A significant aspect discussed is the use of artificial intelligence in targeting. Soldiers admitted to an AI system having a 15% margin of error, yet they proceeded with strikes, even when it meant the deaths of entire families. Mushtaha connects this to the loss of his uncle Hisham Za'afar Mushtaha, his wife Hanan, their sons Basel and Mohammed, and their four grandchildren, suggesting they may have been killed due to an AI-determined "target."

Mushtaha contrasts the soldiers' detached perspective with his own experience of knowing the victims as individuals. He questions his own survival, realizing it was purely coincidental and beyond his control, challenging the notion that he was safe because he wasn't affiliated with any militant group. The film, he states, reveals the systematic nature of the killing machine in Gaza, where individuals are reduced to data, and the responsibility is diffused within the operational language.

Ultimately, Mushtaha seeks not catharsis but a humanization of both the victims and the perpetrators. He emphasizes that behind every number is a person, and that the systematic nature of the operations should not serve as a shield for those responsible. He concludes by reflecting on the profound disconnect between the data-driven military operations and the full human reality of the lives affected, noting that even the most advanced technology cannot account for the complete world within each person.