New Venice Documentary ‘NAZA’ Exposes Israel’s Targeting Systems in Gaza: ‘AI Picks Who Dies’

A new documentary premiered at the Venice International Film Festival, bringing attention to how artificial intelligence systems, surveillance and phone tracking are described by Israeli military insiders as being used in operations in Gaza.

Filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor brought their new documentary to the Venice International Film Festival on Thursday, 10 September, showcasing testimony from 24 Israeli intelligence officers and soldiers about systems and practices used during the Gaza war.

AI Systems Flag Gaza Strike Targets

Competing as the sole documentary for the Golden Lion at the 83rd Venice Film Festival, the Guardian-produced film 'NAZA' draws its name from an Israeli military acronym used to indicate the number of civilians expected to be killed in an airstrike.

The 80-minute film was produced by The Guardian and James Wilson through JW Films and executive produced by Jonathan Glazer, the team behind 'The Zone of Interest'. It expands upon joint investigative reporting published from 2023 through 2025 across The Guardian, +972 Magazine and Local Call.

Israeli intelligence officers and soldiers who spoke for the project describe how AI-based systems were used to identify suspected low-ranking Hamas members as potential strike targets.

According to the anonymous testimonies featured in the documentary, individuals identified by the systems were targeted inside their residences, sometimes at night, with commanders allegedly aware that family members could also be killed. Personnel also describe the use of hacked mobile phones to locate targets.

Phone Tracking Monitored Targets

According to the film's testimonies, Israeli military personnel intercepted conversations involving targeted individuals and their wives and children, including shortly before strikes on their homes.

At a press briefing in Venice, Abraham noted that the team urged the service members to break down their duties.

'We just told these officers: "Please describe to us what you did. How do these systems work? Sketch it out for us." Sometimes, in just asking the questions, you get the answers,' he said.

'Some of them did not express remorse, and some did. Some spoke out of indifference, some out of pride.'

Anonymous Sources Reveal Military Practices

The 24 interviewees chose to remain anonymous due to the dangers tied to openly talking about Israeli military actions. The interviews were filmed secretly at night on rooftops in Tel Aviv, with the subjects' faces and voices digitally altered to protect their identities.

The film includes accounts of the destruction of neighbourhoods where Israeli forces estimated that up to 25% of residents remained in their homes, the systematic burning of civilian homes and the killing of civilians at a food distribution site.

Several interviewees worked in a secret intelligence unit that reports directly to the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with one saying their mission was to 'thwart peace'.

Clarifying that the project examines institutional frameworks rather than isolated actions, Abraham and Szor stated it targets 'the orders themselves, the policies, the accepted practices' and 'the system and its cogs'. Abraham defined the film as an investigation into 'systems of mass killing' using testimony from the 24 insiders.

Documentary Examines Gaza Surveillance System

Speaking with Le Monde, Abraham explained that months of conversations were needed to persuade sources to participate, noting that the project targets systemic protocols rather than isolated errors. Refusing to adopt a moralising stance, he stated, 'we are all complicit to some extent', prioritising operational details over confessions.

He highlighted admissions regarding policies in which unarmed individuals in specific areas of Gaza were allegedly targeted, according to the interviewees. Szor added that the film contrasts normal life in Tel Aviv with events about 60 kilometres away, emphasising the wider surveillance and military systems that the filmmakers say predated the current conflict.

The claims about military practices in 'NAZA' come primarily from 24 anonymous Israeli military and intelligence sources interviewed for the film and build on reporting previously published by The Guardian, +972 Magazine and Local Call. The Israel Defense Forces had not immediately responded to a Reuters request for comment about the documentary as of 10 September.