25-Minute Standing Ovation for Exposé on Gaza Mass Killings: NAZA Wins Special Jury Prize at Venice

Directed by Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, "NAZA," which won the Special Jury Prize at the Venice International Film Festival on the 12th local time, is a documentary exposing the systems of the Israeli military and intelligence agencies that enable mass killings of Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip.

With a running time of 80 minutes, the film was the sole documentary featured in this year's competition section.

Following its official screening on the 10th, "NAZA" drew a 25-minute standing ovation, emerging as the biggest talking point of this year's Venice Film Festival, with some critics and media outlets naming it a strong contender for the Golden Lion.

"NAZA" features anonymous testimonies from 24 whistleblowers, including Israeli intelligence operatives and soldiers who were involved in monitoring Palestinian civilians and carrying out remote killings in the Gaza Strip.

Interviewees described their frame of mind at the time, stating that using Israel's AI-based targeting system to bomb Gaza felt like working in a murder "factory" or a murder video game.

The film's title, "NAZA," originates from an abbreviation used by the Israeli military to refer to civilians expected to die during military operations.

The movie details the covert operational methods employed by the Israeli military in the Gaza Strip.

The Israeli military built and used an artificial intelligence (AI) based system to identify low-ranking Hamas operatives, utilizing it to launch midnight airstrikes on the homes of suspected Hamas members.

Testimony also emerged that Israel was clearly aware that these actions could cost the lives of not only Hamas operatives but also their families.

Accounts were also included regarding the destruction of areas still inhabited by civilians and the killing of civilians at humanitarian aid distribution sites.

British daily The Guardian and James Wilson of JW Films participated as producers of the film, while director Jonathan Glazer, who helmed "The Zone of Interest," served as executive producer.

The film was produced based on exposures made between 2023 and 2025 by Israeli-Palestinian outlet "+972 Magazine," Hebrew-language outlet "Local Call," and The Guardian. To protect sources, the contents were kept strictly confidential until the premiere on the 10th.

It took three years to persuade Israeli military personnel and others to disclose inside information, and the faces and voices of the interviewees were altered to protect their identities.

Directors Abraham and Szor of "NAZA" are of Israeli origin.

They previously co-directed "No Other Land" (2024) alongside Palestinian directors Basel Adra and Hamdan Ballal, which deals with the harrowing realities of Palestinians rendered homeless by Israeli attacks.

"No Other Land" was selected as the winner of the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 2025.

At the Venice Film Festival awards ceremony on the 12th, co-director Abraham stated that over the ten days since the opening of the film festival, Israel had killed at least six Palestinian children in the Gaza Strip.

"The Israeli intelligence personnel we spoke with told us how these mass killings are carried out systematically," he said, adding, "They are not the result of coincidence, but of planning, and are homicidal acts and policies rooted in the total dehumanization of Palestinians."

"It is truly, truly exceptionally important for us that the Israeli public sees this film," he said, "because it is our country that is committing these crimes."

Earlier, during a press conference held during the film festival, director Abraham stated, "We simply asked, 'Explain what you did,'" adding, "Sometimes, a simple question is enough to get an answer."

He shared that among the interviewees, "Some had regrets and some did not," and noted, "Several worked in a secret intelligence unit directly under the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and one of them said their mission was to block peace."

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.