Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered a criminal investigation and prosecution of soldiers who anonymously exposed realities in the Gaza Strip through the documentary film "NAZA," the British daily The Guardian reported on the 12th (local time).

According to The Guardian, Netanyahu sent a letter to Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, and Shin Bet Director David Zini, instructing them to urgently identify all individuals appearing in "NAZA."

He further urged that once identified, these individuals should be "investigated and prosecuted for severe security breaches, criminal defamation, and undermining Israel's diplomatic and security interests."

"NAZA" is a documentary co-directed by Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor—both Israeli nationals who won an Oscar last year for "No Other Land," which addressed the realities faced by Palestinians—and produced by The Guardian.

The film features anonymous whistleblowing from 24 Israeli intelligence operatives and soldiers involved in the surveillance and mass killing of civilians in the Gaza Strip.

The Israeli government strongly pushed back after "NAZA" gained prominence by winning the Special Jury Prize at this year's Venice International Film Festival, initiating procedures to strip the two directors of their citizenship.

IDF Chief of Staff Zamir criticized the film as an "attack on Israel" and a collection of "lies and malicious slander."

Regime supporters claimed they would track down the two directors if they returned to Israel, and protests were staged outside Szor's parents' home in Savyon.

In response to Netanyahu's directive, Ricardo Gutiérrez, general secretary of the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), criticized it as "an overt act of intimidation against the press," adding that it "shows the Israeli regime is ready to do anything to cover up the crimes against humanity and ongoing genocide it has committed in the Gaza Strip."

Major figures in the global film industry have also expressed solidarity with the two directors, stating that they "firmly support the right to address difficult and urgent subjects without fear of retaliation."

(Photo: Getty Images)