Netanyahu demands criminal probe of soldiers who testified in ‘NAZA’ film on Gaza killings

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday demanded the attorney general and heads of the Israel Defense Forces and Shin Bet investigate troops who testified anonymously in the film “NAZA,” about Israel’s killing of Gazan civilians, for both spreading “false” libel and “revealing top secret information.” In a letter addressed to Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir and Shin Bet head David Zini, Netanyahu demanded they “act urgently to uncover the identity of all those who are involved or appear in the libel film.” He also called for “the opening of a criminal investigation and prosecution for serious information security offenses, criminal defamation, and harming Israel’s diplomatic and security interests.” Netanyahu has previously expressed support for revoking the filmmakers’ Israeli citizenship. ‘NAZA,’ whose name is the Hebrew acronym for “collateral damage,” features testimonies from 24 digitally masked people who the filmmakers say are soldiers, mainly from intelligence units. Get The Times of Israel's Daily Edition by email and never miss our top stories Newsletter email address Get it By signing up, you agree to the terms Testimony in the film alleges “mass killing on an industrial scale” in Gaza, bolstered by an AI-powered targeting system and permission for military strikes with as many as 500 expected civilian casualties, since the Hamas-led onslaught of October 7, 2023, that sparked the war. The IDF earlier this month published a sweeping, 17-page denial of the allegations, saying humans alone were responsible for selecting and approving strikes in Gaza, that no strike ever killed or was expected to kill 500 civilians, and that the claim was in any case unverifiable and baseless. The military also said its directives “have never granted automatic authorization for strikes against targets placing a fixed number of civilians at risk,” such as 20 civilians in an attack on a junior operative or 200 civilians in an attack on a senior commander, as claimed in the film. Advertisement The military said the film “presents a distorted, misleading and disingenuous picture of the IDF’s target planning and striking process” and that its narrative is “based on substantial factual errors stemming from manipulative misrepresentations of reality.” Directors Yuval Abraham (right) and Rachel Szor (left), winners of the Special Jury Prize for ‘Naza,’ attend a photocall on the red carpet following the closing ceremony of the 83rd Venice Film Festival at Venice Lido, Italy, on September 12, 2026. (Scott A Garfitt/ Invision/ AP) Writing to Zini, Zamir and Baharav-Miara on Sunday, Netanyahu said he was appending the IDF’s “harsh response” to the film. He described the film as “presenting ‘testimonies by serving and released soldiers from Unit 8200,'” though the filmmakers never claimed the interviewees all hailed from the military signal intelligence unit. “The film relates a false, misleading, and programmatic libel that defames the State of Israel and the Israel Defense Forces” and causes “severe harm to Israel’s global stature,” Netanyahu wrote. “Beyond that severe harm, there is concern that those involved in the libel film committed serious criminal offenses of exposing top-secret information, and created a breach in the information security of a highly sensitive intelligence unit.” ‘NAZA’ premiered to record applause at the Venice Film Festival on September 10, and went on to win the festival’s special jury prize. It is being distributed in cinemas in over 50 countries, but not Israel, and is expected to be made available for online streaming starting in November. Related analysis: NAZA’s claims about IDF conduct in Gaza are grave. So are the film’s journalistic flaws It was produced by The Guardian and co-created by journalist Yuval Abraham, whose investigative pieces in the Guardian and in left-wing Israeli outlets Local Call and +972 form the basis of the film. Government supporters have vowed to hound Abraham and his co-creator Rachel Szor when they return to Israel, and have picketed the home of Szor’s parents in central Israel’s Savyon, calling, “Death sentence to traitors.” Help us report truthfully on social media As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos. This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world. If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism , please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting. — Gabriella Jacobs, multimedia journalist Support our work Support our work Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this You're a dedicated reader We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month. That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world. So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community. For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE , as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members. Thank you, David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel Join Our Community Join Our Community Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this Most Popular 1 Flydubai passengers said preparing huge class-action suit against airline, governments 2 Transcript reportedly captures PM’s top aide asking stenographer to falsify Oct. 7 records 3 Iran said still able to produce missiles and drones, is being armed by Russia 4 At least 12 killed, more than 300 hurt in Houthi attack on Riyadh airport 5 Biden-era official says Netanyahu delayed Gaza deal in 2024 by adding conditions 6 Joint Arab List says it’s willing to provide safety net for any anti-Netanyahu coalition 7 Red Cross chief says earlier pressure for hostage releases ‘could have saved more lives’ 8 One in five Israelis ‘still struggling to function’ since Oct. 7 – new study read more: Israel Inside NAZA Benjamin Netanyahu Shin Bet Gali Baharav-Miara David Zini Eyal Zamir 2023-2025 Israel-Hamas war If you’d like to comment, join The Times of Israel Community. JOIN THE TOI COMMUNITY Already a member? Log in here close popup Sign in or Join The Times of Israel Community Sign in or Register Paying ToI Community members are invited to comment on articles Email address * Please use the following structure: [email protected] Continue Or Continue with By joining you agree to the terms and conditions Send me The Times of Israel Daily Edition back close popup Register to continue Email address * Change REGISTER Or Continue with back close popup Log in to continue Email address * Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.. Continue back close popup Sign in or Join The Times of Israel Community Sign in or Register You are currently registered. Please join The Times of Israel Community to comment and enjoy other Community benefits Only ToI Community members can comment below articles Email address * Password * Incorrect password. Please try again or choose an option below. Forgot your password? / Send me a login link Continue Sign in without joining Or Continue with close popup Check your email We sent an email to you at . It has a link that will sign you in. Click the link in that email to complete registration so you can comment. back close popup Join The Times of Israel Community Commenting is available for paying members of The Times of Israel Community only. Please join our Community to comment and enjoy other Community benefits. Email address * Please use the following structure: [email protected] JOIN NOW! close popup Thank you! Now check your email You are now a member of The Times of Israel Community! We sent you an email with a login link to . Once you're set up, you can start enjoying Community benefits and commenting.