A documentary examining Israel’s AI-assisted targeting in Gaza has won the special jury prize at the Venice Film Festival.
“NAZA”, directed by Oscar-winning Israeli filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, was the only documentary in Venice’s main competition.
The film had emerged as a strong contender for the Golden Lion after receiving a 25-minute standing ovation at its premiere.
‘NAZA’ Wins Special Jury Prize
The special jury prize recognises an outstanding work selected by the festival jury. However, it ranks below the Golden and Silver Lions.
While accepting the award, Abraham spoke about the continuing deaths of Palestinian children in Gaza.
He said, “Israel killed six Palestinian children in Gaza at least” during the 10 days since the festival began.
Abraham also discussed the filmmakers’ conversations with Israeli military intelligence officers.
“The Israeli intelligence officers we spoke with talked to us how this mass killing is systemic: not by accident, but by design, actions of murder and policies that are based on the total dehumanisation of Palestinians,” he told the audience.
Documentary Features Israeli Whistleblowers
Abraham and Szor built the 80-minute documentary around interviews with 24 Israeli military and intelligence whistleblowers.
The interviewees spoke on condition that their identities would remain protected. Their accounts describe the use of Israel’s AI-powered targeting systems during attacks on Gaza.
Several interviewees compared their experiences to working inside a killing “factory” or a lethal video game.
The film received strong reactions from critics following its premiere. Screen magazine described it as an “urgent, gut-punch”.
The Hollywood Reporter said the documentary generated “outrage” and “most certainly disgust, on a profound level, for the current Israeli regime”.
Filmmakers Urge Israelis to Watch
Abraham said the documentary’s Israeli audience was particularly important to the filmmakers.
“really, really, especially important for us that Israelis watch this film.” he said.
“It’s our country that is doing these crimes,” he said.
The filmmakers previously won an Oscar in 2025 for “No Other Land”. That documentary examined Israeli settler violence in the occupied West Bank.
Israel Disputes Documentary Testimonies
The Israeli military has criticised the documentary’s use of anonymous testimonies. It said the identities of the whistleblowers “cannot be verified”.
Israel also denies deliberately targeting civilians.
Following the awards ceremony, a journalist asked Abraham about the military’s response. He replied that “it seems like an attempt to not face reality”.
Abraham defended the documentary’s reporting, which was produced with Britain’s The Guardian newspaper. He described the reporting as “rigorous” and said other mainstream journalists had also reported its findings.
The director also revealed that the filmmakers had received threats. However, he did not provide further details.
Gaza War Figures Highlighted
Israel’s bombardment of Gaza followed the October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas militants on Israel.
According to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry, around 73,500 Palestinians have been killed and 174,500 wounded since October 2023. The United Nations considers the ministry’s figures reliable.
An AFP tally based on official figures puts the Israeli death toll from the October 7 attack at 1,219 people.
With its Venice award, “NAZA” has brought renewed attention to the debate surrounding Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. The documentary has also placed Israeli whistleblowers’ accounts at the centre of that discussion.
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