While international festivals welcomed the Gaza military intelligence documentary NAZA with a 25-minute standing ovation on September 10, 2026, the Israeli government moved to revoke the citizenship of its makers, Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor.
NAZA Documentary Receives Record Standing Ovation at Venice
The documentary NAZA achieved a festival record on September 10, 2026, when it received a 25-minute standing ovation at the Venice Film Festival.
Directed by Israeli filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor alongside co-producers including The Guardian, the film examines the mechanics of military strikes in the Gaza Strip. The production builds upon investigative reporting published by outlets including +972 Magazine, Local Call, and The Guardian. James Wilson (JW Films) produced the project alongside The Guardian, while Oscar-winning filmmaker Jonathan Glazer served as executive producer.
Distribution plans span more than 50 countries, with theatrical rollouts scheduled in 56 territories.
Intelligence Testimony On Automated Strikes
The title NAZA derives from nezek agavi, the Hebrew acronym for collateral damage,
representing the military threshold for acceptable civilian casualties in a given strike.
The documentary features anonymous interviews with 24 Israeli intelligence officers, soldiers, and military personnel conducted on a series of rooftops in Tel Aviv, situated 43 miles or 70 kilometers up the coast from the Gaza Strip. Interviewees describe how automated systems select targets and how surveillance operations track targets to private homes.
Soldiers in the film explain that strikes against suspected Hamas operatives were often executed at night while family members were present. Surveillance practices detailed in the film include hacking mobile phones in Gaza to monitor targets and listening to family communications before authorizing attacks. The film notes that the Hamas-led attacks in Israel on October 7, 2023, resulted in around 1,200 deaths and 250 taken hostages, while more than 73,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since that date.
Netanyahu Threatens to Revoke Filmmakers Citizenship
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu likened the production of NAZA to launching dozens of ballistic missiles
at the state and announced plans to advance legislation revoking the citizenship of Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor.
The documentary triggered immediate political backlash in Israel. Forty-three local human rights organizations issued a joint statement urging authorities to halt threats and incitement, while more than 1,500 Israeli filmmakers signed a petition defending freedom of expression. The domestic climate surrounding the film’s release involved widespread harassment. Pro-Netanyahu protesters also targeted the offices of +972, Yuval Abraham’s employer, to harass his colleagues, and a presenter on Channel 14 encouraged viewers to hunt the filmmakers down.
Confrontation At The Delft Screening
Tensions surrounding the documentary spilled over internationally during an October 2026 screening in Delft, near The Hague. Accompanied by Avichai Shorshan, CEO of the Israeli organization Ad Kan, Sabine Tassa challenged the film’s premise from the podium.
Look me in the eyes. You talk about collateral damage? My husband and my son were murdered by Hamas. Where is that in your film?
Sabine Tassa, October 7 survivor
Following the incident, Dutch opposition leader Geert Wilders hosted Tassa in the Dutch parliament and criticized the audience reaction on social media.
Reporting by the Guardian, +972 Magazine, and Local Call contributed to this article.