A documentary titled Naza, revealing Israel’s calculated mass killing of Palestinian civilians in Gaza, received a 25-minute ovation at its Venice Film Festival premiere. The film, directed by Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, features testimonies from Israeli military and intelligence sources, whose identities were concealed through digital alterations of their voices and faces. According to Al Jazeera, the film is the result of a nearly three-year investigation.

Testimonies Reveal AI-Assisted Surveillance and Assassinations

Interviewees describe an AI-assisted system known as ‘Lavender,’ which used Gaza’s monitored telecommunications network,phone calls, movements, and interactions—to identify assassination targets. One interviewee said the process was “like a video game, because everything is done remotely” and was “insanely fun.” Another described the destruction of civilian homes and a “general atmosphere” of “hatred” towards Palestinians. According to Al Jazeera, the film’s title is a Hebrew intelligence euphemism used to indicate the number of civilians expected to be killed in a given air strike.

Secrecy and Surprise at the Venice Film Festival

The film was added to the festival program at the last minute, with its screening scheduled for September 10, 2026, and According to La Biennale di Venezia, the film was shot at night on the rooftops of Tel Aviv and produced by The Guardian. James Wilson and Jonathan Glazer, the team behind The Zone of Interest, are executive producers, but According to WELT, the film was described as the “new controversy film” of the festival. The film was the only documentary in the competition section.

Controversy and Calls for Change

Abraham stated that the goal of the film was to hear “in as much detail as possible how the systems of killing in Gaza looked, how they operated.” He expressed hope that the film would push Western governments to drop their backing for Israel and apply pressure through sanctions. According to Cadena SER, the film has already caused controversy in the festival and has been described as a “radical change” for many critics and viewers. The film was also described as a “new example” of how cinema can be a reference for ethical and moral issues, but According to v.daum.net, the film was described as a “scorching documentary” that exposed Israel’s use of AI for civilian casualties in Gaza.

According to Al Jazeera, the film reveals that military sources witnessed with their own eyes and ears that the homes they were “incriminating” were filled with families. Abraham emphasized the importance of the film for those inside Israel and Palestine trying to fight for change, though the film has been described as a “calculated mass killing” of Palestinian civilians in Gaza. According to WELT, the film is a “nuchtern” (calm) portrayal of the “mechanisms behind Israel’s calculated mass killing of Palestinian civilians in Gaza.”