A new documentary titled NAZA offers a rare and unsettling glimpse into the inner workings of Israeli military operations targeting Gaza, revealing how decisions about civilian casualties are made. The film, derived from testimonies of Israeli soldiers and intelligence officers, presents a candid account of the planning and execution of airstrikes on the Palestinian territory.
NAZA, named after an Israeli military acronym referring to the projected number of civilian deaths in an assault, features soldiers who describe their actions with a disturbingly clinical detachment. In the film, some personnel liken their tasks to a “mission” or even a “video game,” exhibiting no hesitation or remorse as they recount authorizing strikes that result in widespread loss of life. One soldier vividly recalls hearing a family at home—the sound of a man speaking to his wife, a baby crying, a television in the background—just moments before ordering a bomb dropped on them.
The documentary also exposes how AI systems are used in target identification, with soldiers acknowledging an error rate of approximately 15%. Despite inaccuracies, entire families have been killed based on these AI-generated assessments. One testimony reveals that up to 500 civilians have been authorized for killing in pursuit of a single high-value target, underscoring the scale of destruction deemed acceptable by military planners.
NAZA doesn’t only highlight aerial attacks; some footage captures soldiers on the ground in Gaza engaging in acts such as entering homes, setting fires, and enforcing “kill zones.” However, the film acknowledges that these scenes represent only a fraction of the constant surveillance, movement restrictions, and forced displacements endured by Gaza’s residents.
The film’s impact is intensified by the perspective of Palestinian journalist Mahmoud Mushtaha, who reflects on personal losses linked to the events depicted. He names relatives and friends killed during Israeli operations, including victims of the so-called “Flour Massacre” in early 2024. Mushtaha contemplates the arbitrary nature of survival amid such violence, recognizing that decisions about life and death often hinge on AI algorithms and remote commands executed far from Gaza.
NAZA premiered at the Venice Film Festival, where it received a prolonged standing ovation. Yet, the film’s release has not altered ongoing military actions in Gaza, and the cycle of violence continues. Mushtaha emphasizes that while testimony and recognition matter, these come too late to protect those on the ground, expressing that genuine safety remains elusive for Palestinians living amid the conflict.
The documentary raises profound questions about the ethical dimensions of modern warfare, the role of technology in targeting civilians, and the human cost behind impersonal military calculations. It underscores the challenge of transforming individual stories of loss into accountability within a system that often reduces victims to data points.