Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered an investigation into the anonymous sources featured in a documentary that accuses the country's military of killing civilians in Gaza using an artificial-intelligence-driven targeting system.
The award-winning film NAZA is built on testimony from 24 whistleblowers from the Israeli military, all unnamed, who allege the military used such systems to kill numerous civilians in the besieged territory.
In a post on X late Saturday, Netanyahu said: "I am asking the Chief of Staff, the head of Shin Bet and the attorney general to conduct a comprehensive investigation into those involved in the film 'Naza' and to prosecute them for serious information-security violations, criminal defamation and conduct that harms Israel's diplomatic and security interests."
He added that the film "presents a distorted, misleading and biased narrative aimed at smearing the State of Israel and the Israel Defense Forces on the international stage, causing serious damage to Israel's standing."
Last month, the Israeli military said it "completely rejects" the whistleblowers' allegations, calling some of their claims "absurd" and contradictory. The military insisted that the selection and approval of airstrikes are "carried out solely by human personnel," in line with its guidelines.
Israeli military Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir has called for legal action against those involved and ordered an investigation into the suspected leak of classified military information used in the film's production.
NAZA takes its name from an Israeli military term for expected civilian casualties in airstrikes, a Hebrew acronym meaning "damage beyond the target."
The film won a special jury prize at the Venice International Film Festival and received a 25-minute standing ovation, an unprecedented event.
It has also unleashed a political storm in Israel. The film's two directors, Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, have been accused of "treason." Netanyahu and Culture Minister Miki Zohar have threatened to revoke their Israeli citizenship.
Last week, the head of Israel's National Public Diplomacy Directorate, Tzipi Hotovely, presented certificates of recognition to the makers of another film titled NAZA: The Real Story, saying it rebuts the "blood libels" in the original NAZA. According to a statement from the Prime Minister's Office, NAZA: The Real Story features soldiers' accounts aimed at refuting the original allegations.
On the other side, according to Israel's Channel 12, 43 Israeli human rights groups have spoken out in defense of the NAZA filmmakers and condemned the threats directed at them.
Israel's war in Gaza began on October 7, 2023, after the armed wing of Hamas, the Qassam Brigades, along with other Palestinian groups, attacked southern Israel, killing 1,139 people and taking about 240 hostages.
According to the Gaza Health Ministry, Israel has since killed at least 74,000 Palestinians, including at least 21,000 children.
