Netanyahu Seeks Probe Into NAZA Whistleblowers

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called for a comprehensive investigation into the anonymous Israeli military whistleblowers whose testimony appears in NAZA, an award-winning documentary alleging that Israel’s military used AI-powered targeting systems in Gaza and killed civilians. In a post on X, Netanyahu urged the military chief of staff, the head of the Shin Bet and the attorney general to investigate the film’s participants and consider prosecuting them for alleged information-security violations, criminal libel and damage to Israel’s diplomatic and security interests. He described the film as false, misleading and biased. The military has rejected the whistleblowers’ claims, saying strike decisions are approved by human personnel under military guidelines. Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir has ordered an inquiry into suspected leaks of classified information and called for legal action against the participants to be considered. NAZA draws on testimony from 24 unnamed Israeli military whistleblowers. Its title refers to an Israeli military term for anticipated civilian casualties in air strikes. The film received a special jury prize at the Venice International Film Festival, where it was met with a reported 25-minute standing ovation, and has sparked a political controversy in Israel. Its directors, Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, have been accused of treason; Netanyahu and Culture Minister Miki Zohar have threatened to revoke their citizenship. The article also describes competing responses to the film. Israel’s National Public Diplomacy Directorate head, Tzipi Hotovely, recognized the creators of a separate film, NAZA: The Real Story, which features soldiers disputing the original documentary’s allegations. Meanwhile, 43 Israeli rights groups have defended NAZA’s filmmakers and condemned threats against them. The report places the dispute in the context of the war in Gaza, which began after the October 7, 2023 attacks in southern Israel. It cites figures of 1,139 people killed and about 240 taken captive in those attacks, and at least 74,000 Palestinians killed in Gaza since then, including at least 21,000 children, according to Gaza’s Ministry of Health.

The France 24 report says Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on Sunday for an investigation into the anonymous sources featured in the documentary “NAZA.” The film is described as an award-winning documentary about the Gaza war and received the Special Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival the previous month. It draws on testimony from 24 unnamed Israeli military whistleblowers, who accuse the Israeli army of killing numerous civilians in Gaza through the use of artificial-intelligence-powered targeting systems. The report identifies the sources as anonymous and presents the accusations as claims made by the whistleblowers; the supplied article text does not provide further evidence, responses from the military, or details about the scope or proposed process of Netanyahu’s requested investigation. The report’s details are attributed to France 24 correspondent Noga Tarnopolsky in Jerusalem, who also made the video. The supplied page text contains no extended interview or additional documentary excerpts, so the account is limited to Netanyahu’s call for a probe and the documentary’s award and central allegations. The subject is the scrutiny of whistleblowers whose testimony forms the basis of a film about alleged civilian deaths in Gaza and military use of AI targeting systems.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has asked the Israel Defense Forces chief of staff, the head of the Shin Bet security agency and the attorney general to investigate people who gave anonymous testimony for the documentary “NAZA.” The film alleges that the IDF systematically targeted Palestinian civilians during the Gaza war, including through the use of intelligence systems and artificial intelligence, and that it accepted high civilian death tolls in attacks on militants. Netanyahu’s letter calls for the participants to be identified and prosecuted, citing possible disclosure of classified information, criminal defamation and damage to Israel’s diplomatic and security interests. He describes the documentary as containing falsehoods and manipulation and says it harms Israel’s standing internationally. The letter also refers to a 17-page response from the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit. The three officials named in the request had not responded at the time of publication. Culture and Sports Minister Miki Zohar praised Netanyahu’s demand, arguing the film’s content should not harm Israel or IDF soldiers. “NAZA,” whose title comes from a Hebrew acronym for “collateral damage,” received the Special Jury Prize at the Venice International Film Festival, drawing international attention. The IDF rejects the documentary’s central allegations, calling its account distorted and misleading. It says its rules prohibit deliberately targeting civilians and require commanders to minimize civilian harm when feasible. The military also disputes claims that it anticipated civilian deaths on the scale alleged in the film, or that artificial intelligence independently selects targets. According to the IDF, intelligence officers identify potential targets, specialists plan strikes, and operational commanders make the final decision.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on Oct. 11 for an investigation into the anonymous Israeli military sources who contributed to the documentary *NAZA*, and asked that they be prosecuted, according to a statement from his office. The film draws on testimony from 24 unnamed whistleblowers who allege that the Israeli army used AI-powered targeting systems in ways that led to the deaths of numerous civilians in Gaza. The documentary’s title refers to an Israeli military term for civilian casualties anticipated in airstrikes, derived from a Hebrew phrase meaning “collateral damage.” *NAZA* won a special jury prize at the Venice Film Festival and received a reported 25-minute standing ovation. Its claims have provoked a political storm in Israel. Netanyahu described the film as “false, misleading and biased,” saying it defames Israel and its army internationally. He has previously said he would support legislation to strip citizenship from people who “defame” soldiers. The Israeli army has categorically rejected the accusations and questioned the reliability of the anonymous contributors. The article places the dispute against the wider context of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, launched after Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023 attacks. Gaza’s health ministry, which operates under Hamas authority, reports that more than 74,000 people have been killed. The article says the figures are considered reliable by the United Nations. Overall, it reports Netanyahu’s response, the documentary’s allegations and reception, and the army’s denial without independently resolving the competing claims.