AI-Driven Warfare in Gaza: New Documentary Exposes the Human Cost of Tech-Enabled Conflict

A new documentary from two Oscar-winning Israeli filmmakers is providing unprecedented testimony about AI-enabled mass killings in Gaza, according to the directors who spoke ahead of its Venice Film Festival premiere. The film, titled NAZA, draws its name from the Israeli intelligence euphemism for the expected number of civilian casualties in an airstrike.

Directors Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor told AFP they collected evidence from 24 Israeli military and intelligence figures who agreed to testify on camera in Tel Aviv with protected identities. The documentary is the only one in competition at this year's Venice Film Festival, which concludes on Saturday.

How does AI-powered surveillance drive targeting in Gaza?

Israeli servicemen and women describe in detail how mass surveillance of Gaza, where Israel monitors the entire telecoms network, was combined with AI technology to identify people for assassination. Abraham, 31, explained that this surveillance infrastructure created a stream of justifications for mass killing.

The conflict has left approximately 73,500 Palestinians dead and 174,500 wounded since October 2023, according to Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry, figures the United Nations deems reliable. The bombardment followed the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack inside Israel that killed 1,219 people, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.

What is the background of the filmmakers behind NAZA?

Abraham and Szor previously gained international recognition with No Other Land, their Oscar-winning documentary about Israeli settler violence in the occupied West Bank, alongside Palestinian filmmakers Basel Adra and Hamdan Ballal. Their latest project is produced by Britain's Jim Wilson with assistance from Jonathan Glazer, the team behind the Auschwitz-set Oscar winner The Zone of Interest, as well as Britain's Guardian newspaper.

Both investigative journalists hope the film will encourage Western nations to reconsider diplomatic backing and military support for Israel, potentially applying pressure through sanctions. Abraham stated,

Those of us inside Israel and Palestine trying to fight for change, need it. You are weakening the people inside who are supporting human rights and a political solution by refusing to act.

Israel denies deliberately targeting civilians in Gaza, accusing Hamas of hiding among the population of the densely packed enclave where around two million people lived before the war. However, Abraham concluded that Israel's government under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was violating the Genocide Convention of 1948 and was committed to expelling Gaza's population.

How is the Gaza conflict reshaping Western public opinion?

NAZA was a late addition to Venice's top competition, where organisers selected several films about the Gaza conflict. Citizen Osama, about a Gaza photojournalist struggling to find water and food while doing his job, premiered last week and has been chosen as the Palestinian entry for the 2027 Academy Awards. Last year, The Voice of Hind Rajab, a docu-drama about the killing of a five-year-old Palestinian girl, won second prize at the festival.

These films, alongside increasing condemnation from top entertainment figures, reflect a broad shift in Western public opinion against the war and Israeli policies. US actress Susan Sarandon claimed this week that the narrative around Gaza and US financial and military support for Israel had completely changed, noting that people are now aware of many things previously ignored.

What are the challenges for journalists covering Gaza?

Foreign journalists have been prevented from reporting from Gaza since the conflict began, except under tightly controlled conditions with the Israeli military. Szor noted that some Israeli journalists have questioned the war, but very few in mainstream media have a platform to do so. The Committee to Protect Journalists reports that more than 200 Palestinian journalists have been killed in Gaza since October 2023, describing it as the deadliest and most deliberate effort to kill and silence journalists it has ever documented.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does NAZA mean in the context of the documentary?

NAZA is a euphemism used by Israeli intelligence to indicate the expected number of civilians that would be killed in an airstrike. The documentary uses this term to highlight how AI technology was deployed to streamline and justify targeting decisions in Gaza.

Who are the filmmakers behind NAZA?

Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor are investigative journalists who previously won an Oscar for No Other Land, a documentary about Israeli settler violence in the West Bank. They collected testimony from 24 Israeli military and intelligence figures for their new film.

What is the significance of the Venice Film Festival screening?

NAZA is the only documentary in competition at this year's Venice Film Festival, which has selected several films addressing the Gaza conflict. The festival platform provides international visibility for the filmmakers' evidence about AI-enabled targeting systems.