Hostage's Mother Slams Documentary Creators for 'Incitement' and 'Damage'

Iris Haim, mother of Yotam Haim who was mistakenly killed by IDF soldiers after being held hostage in Gaza, has publicly criticized the creators of the documentary "N.Z.A." (Incidental Damage). In an Instagram post, Haim compared the film's alleged incitement to Nazi propaganda, stating, "How did Hitler and his assistants manage to murder millions? Like this. By brainwashing entire populations around the world." She accused the filmmakers, Yuval Avraham and Rachel Shor, of exploiting the issue of collateral damage for their agenda.

Haim described the film as "full of lies and fabrications" aimed at inciting hatred and causing harm to her family. She explained that the "incidental damage" she is concerned about is not international opinion, which she feels is already biased against Israelis, but rather the internal damage the film has caused to Israelis. She recounted an incident where a WhatsApp message from an Israeli who claimed to have overheard soldiers boasting about marking their rifles, including Yotam's, with an 'X', a military slang for killing someone, caused immense distress to her family.

While Haim acknowledged that the soldiers who shot Yotam were in an impossible situation due to their rules of engagement, she believes the film and similar narratives contribute to misinterpretations and harmful conclusions. She stated, "It is clear to me that a person who hears a conversation between soldiers and draws far-reaching conclusions that they are proud of having killed, this is likely a result of the damage of this film and other statements in this vein."

Haim concluded by asserting that the film and its creators are a "disgrace to the nation" and that supporting them is also a disgrace. Despite her pain, she maintained her belief in the Israeli military's morality, attributing the circumstances that led to her son's death to Hamas.