An award-winning documentary accusing Israel of employing artificial intelligence to facilitate mass civilian deaths in Gaza will become available for free online viewing once its theatrical distribution concludes across more than 50 countries.
Israeli filmmaker Yuval Abraham, who co-directed the film NAZA with Rachel Szor, announced Thursday that the documentary will stream starting in November via The Guardian’s website. The UK-based newspaper served as a production partner on the project.
Abraham expressed hope that the streaming release would meet the high demand for the film, allowing audiences to view it both in cinemas and online within weeks. He emphasized that the documentary aims to provoke public discourse regarding the Israeli government’s actions in Gaza, the death toll exceeding 73,000 people, and the normalization of what he described as a war of extermination.
Translating to “collateral damage” in Hebrew, NAZA is set to premiere in the United States on Saturday at the New York Film Festival. It is also scheduled to launch in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Canada.
The 80-minute film is the product of a nearly three-year investigation into the conflict in Gaza. Its narrative relies on testimony from Israeli military and intelligence sources whose identities remain protected. One source described the process of targeting Palestinians through AI as resembling a “video game” that was “insanely fun,” while another referred to it simply as a “mission.”
The documentary details an AI system known as Lavender, which sources claim is used to identify assassination targets. Israel maintains a comprehensive surveillance network in Gaza that tracks phone calls, movements, and interactions. Lavender reportedly utilizes this data, with an alleged error rate of up to 10 percent. Another source revealed that an attack was authorized despite awareness that it could result in the deaths of up to 500 civilians.
NAZA recently received the Special Jury Prize at the Venice International Film Festival. Various human rights organizations, including Amnesty International and Doctors Without Borders (MSF), have accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza.
The film has drawn sharp criticism from Israeli officials. Earlier this month, Culture Minister Miki Zoha called for Abraham and Szor to have their citizenship revoked, labeling their work as treason. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu subsequently pledged to enact legislation allowing for the stripping of citizenship from individuals who defame Israeli soldiers.
In response to the political backlash, Abraham stated that journalism and criticism are not acts of betrayal but rather civic duties when a government commits crimes. He predicted that thousands of Israeli soldiers would watch the film and recognize the events described, urging witnesses to testify despite the fear involved.
The alleged AI error rate is terrifying. Does Israel actually deny using these systems?
Important that this reaches a wider audience beyond just film festivals.