Top US Expert Slams 'Falsehoods' in Gaza War Film

John Spencer, a leading US expert on urban warfare and a retired US Army Colonel, has strongly refuted claims made in the controversial film "Nezah," which has sparked international debate. Spencer, who has visited Israel eight times since the October 7th Hamas attacks and examined the IDF's target selection processes firsthand, described the film's assertion that an attack was approved with an expected civilian casualty count of around 500 as "one of the biggest lies." He argued that the film presents a distorted picture of how strike decisions are made.

Spencer, who has become a prominent international voice supporting Israel's conduct in the Gaza conflict, emphasized his view that "war is not a crime" and that Israel sought to avoid this war, which he stated began with Hamas's invasion on October 7th. He dismissed the film's narrative as relying on "theater of lies."

Addressing the film's focus on technology and artificial intelligence in IDF operations, Spencer unequivocally stated that AI does not make kill decisions. He distinguished between the use of AI for intelligence gathering and processing, which he deemed beneficial for accuracy, and the actual decision to strike, asserting that "there is always a human" involved. He noted that the IDF's target selection process involves extensive consultation, legal review, and damage mitigation steps not seen in other militaries.

Based on his direct observations during his research trips, Spencer concluded that the IDF employs more measures to prevent civilian harm than any army in military history. He cited practices such as civilian evacuation, careful target selection, attack timing, warnings, and the cancellation of strikes when extensive mitigation measures are not feasible, stating, "No army in the world implements more measures to prevent civilian harm than the IDF."