Documentary on Israel’s actions in Gaza to premiere at Venice festival

By the Editorial Team · Friday, August 28, 2026

Israeli filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor will premiere their new documentary "NAZA," which examines Israel’s military actions in Gaza after the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack, at the Venice Film Festival. Following their Oscar-winning film on Palestinian resistance, this documentary amplifies critical perspectives on the conflict, highlighting ongoing international controversies over Israel’s policies and their humanitarian impact.

A new documentary examining Israel’s military operations in Gaza following the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, is set to premiere at the Venice Film Festival, organizers announced Monday. Titled “NAZA,” the film is directed by Israelis Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, who previously co-directed the Oscar-winning documentary “No Other Land.”

“NAZA” was filmed primarily at night from rooftops in Tel Aviv, capturing events from the onset of the recent conflict. According to the festival’s official synopsis, the documentary seeks to uncover the mechanisms behind what it describes as Israel’s “calculated mass killing of Palestinian civilians in Gaza.” The film will compete in the festival’s official competition segment.

Abraham and Szor gained international recognition for their work on “No Other Land,” a collaborative project involving Israeli and Palestinian filmmakers Basel Adra and Hamdan Ballal. That film chronicled the struggles of residents in Masafer Yatta, a region in the southern West Bank declared a military firing zone, focusing on their resistance to home demolitions. The documentary also explored the evolving relationship between Adra, a Palestinian journalist, and Abraham, highlighting their shared activism against settler violence and military operations in the area.

“No Other Land” debuted at the 2024 Berlin International Film Festival, where it received the award for best documentary. The film stirred political debate after Adra condemned the Gaza killings and urged Germany to halt arms sales to Israel, while Abraham characterized conditions in the occupied territories as “apartheid” and called for a cease-fire and an end to the occupation.

In 2025, the documentary was honored with the Academy Award for best documentary. The film’s recognition drew criticism from Israeli Culture Minister Miki Zohar, who described the Oscar win as “a sad moment for the world of cinema” and called on Israeli cultural institutions to boycott the film.

With “NAZA” set to premiere at Venice, the filmmakers continue to explore highly sensitive subjects surrounding Israel’s military policies and their impact on Palestinian civilians amid ongoing tensions. The Venice Film Festival’s platform offers a new venue for these perspectives, underscoring the enduring international debate over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

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