Brief

NAZA filmmakers say they consulted over 100 sources on Israeli Gaza actions

The directors of the award‑winning NAZA film claim extensive source interviews after the Israeli army disputed the documentary’s claims.

By Felo News Desk · Published Fri, 02 Oct 2026 02:18:42 GMT

The directors of the award‑winning documentary NAZA, Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, told the Guardian they spoke to more than 100 sources with knowledge of Israeli military targeting in Gaza. Their disclosure follows an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) statement that accused the film of "substantial errors" and said it relied on interviews with only two dozen troops who had a partial view of target approval.

The IDF’s rebuttal reiterated its rules of engagement, which it says differentiate between militants and civilians and forbid deliberate attacks on civilians. It also noted that while the army uses artificial intelligence to suggest potential targets, final strike decisions and civilian‑risk assessments are signed off by officers. The military denied planning any attack that would anticipate 500 civilian deaths for a single Hamas target.

Abraham and Szor said the film includes testimony from Israeli officers alleging systematic targeting of civilians and that they documented the use of AI in the targeting process. The filmmakers added that the IDF’s response was part of a broader effort by Israeli politicians to discredit NAZA, including previous death threats against the directors and calls by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to strip them of citizenship.

The IDF’s statement was said to be based on remarks made by the filmmakers and a review by a representative who attended a screening. The filmmakers’ claim of consulting over 100 sources contrasts with the IDF’s assertion that the documentary relied on a much smaller pool of interviewees.

Key facts

NAZA directors say they consulted more than 100 sources with knowledge of Israeli targeting in Gaza. (theguardian.com)
The IDF claimed the film relied on interviews with only two dozen troops and contained substantial errors. (theguardian.com)
The IDF says its rules of engagement distinguish militants from civilians and prohibit deliberate targeting of civilians. (theguardian.com)
The IDF denied planning an attack that would anticipate 500 civilian casualties for a single Hamas target. (theguardian.com)

Where accounts differ

Number of sources consulted for the documentary: more than 100 sources (theguardian.com); only two dozen intelligence and other troops (theguardian.com)