An exposé on Israel’s military AI systems in Gaza, directed by Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, received a record 25-minute standing ovation at its Venice Film Festival premiere on September 10, 2026. The documentary features anonymous testimony from 24 intelligence insiders detailing automated remote-killing protocols.
A documentary detailing the secret systems behind the military campaign in Gaza made its world debut at the Venice international film festival on Thursday, September 10, 2026. Titled NAZA, the 80-minute feature was directed by Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, who won an Oscar in 2025 for No Other Land,
a documentary focusing on Israeli settler pogroms in the occupied West Bank.
The title of the film originates from an Israeli military acronym used euphemistically to refer to civilians expected to be killed during an air strike. Screened as the sole documentary competing for the festival’s Golden Lion award, the project emerged from a nearly three-year journalistic investigation that built upon revelations previously published between 2023 and 2025 by local and international outlets.
Testimony From Inside Military Intelligence Units
The production relies on extensive interviews with 24 Israeli intelligence officers and soldiers who participated in surveillance and remote targeting operations. To mitigate severe security risks, participants were filmed at night on rooftops in Tel Aviv, and their appearances and voices were digitally altered to conceal their identities.
Interviewees disclosed the inner workings of automated intelligence tools, including an AI-assisted framework known as Lavender,
which analyzed monitored telecommunications networks, communication patterns, and movements to designate low-ranking Hamas targets. According to the documentary, these identified individuals were frequently targeted with airstrikes at night while inside their residences.
“It was done on a mass scale, like a factory.”
Anonymous interviewee, via Al Jazeera
Another participant described the targeting procedure as like a video game, because everything is done remotely
and termed the operation insanely fun.
Intelligence sources revealed that military personnel hacked into mobile phones to track targets and covertly listened to conversations with family members moments before strikes obliterated the homes. Several contributors served within an intelligence unit reporting directly to the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with one stating their mandate was to thwart peace.
Venice Film Festival Reception and Record Ovation
Following its screening, the documentary drew an extraordinary reaction inside the Palazzo del Cinema. Variety reported that the film earned a nearly 25-minute standing ovation, establishing a new duration record for applause at Venice and major international film festivals. During the prolonged applause, executive producer Jonathan Glazer embraced directors Abraham and Szor while audience members displayed Palestinian flags.
Prior to the premiere, Venice artistic director Alberto Barbera characterized the project as truly groundbreaking
and described it as a politically disruptive and cinematically extremely interesting work.
Trade publications offered similar praise, with Screen International labeling the project an urgent, gut-punch
and The Hollywood Reporter noting it inspired profound disgust toward the current Israeli regime.
The production team shares deep ties to previous award-winning cinema. The film was produced by the UK’s Jim Wilson and executive produced by Jonathan Glazer—the core creative team behind The Zone of Interest, which won the 2024 Academy Award for best international feature.
Intentional Policy Versus Tragic Byproducts
Co-directors Abraham and Szor emphasized that their work intentionally avoids focusing on isolated infractions by individual soldiers.
“It is on the orders themselves, the policies, the accepted practices, the language and logic that make those practices possible, and the people who operate within them.”
Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, directors, via The Guardian
In a joint essay published in +972 Magazine, the filmmakers asserted that the scale of civilian casualties in Gaza was not a tragic byproduct of military engagements, but rather a calculated and premeditated strategy. Paul Lewis, the head of investigations for the Guardian and an executive producer, noted that the documentary represents the culmination of years of verification regarding intelligence systems deployed in the territory.
During a press conference in Venice on Thursday, Abraham issued a direct appeal to international observers regarding foreign policy backing for Israel. Those of us inside Israel and Palestine trying to fight for change need it,
Abraham said, urging Western governments to reconsider their support and implement sanctions to foster political solutions.
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