NAZA director: Palestinian journalists have documented Gaza truth from day one

What Happened

At the Venice Film Festival on Thursday, Israeli filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor received the Special Jury Prize for their documentary NAZA, which examines Israeli military systems behind the mass killing of Palestinian civilians in Gaza. The film received a record-breaking 24-and-a-half-minute standing ovation. In accepting the award, Abraham claimed that more than 200 Palestinian journalists have been killed by Israel in Gaza and said that since the festival started, Israel killed at least six Palestinian children: a three-year-old girl at a school that was bombed, a seven-year-old with her father in a car, and two sisters at home sleeping. He said Israeli intelligence officers interviewed in the film described the mass killing as systemic, 'not by accident but by design,' based on 'total dehumanisation of Palestinians.' Abraham said Palestinian journalists have documented this truth from the first day, and he called it important that Israelis watch the film.

Key Actors

Why It Matters

The award gives a prominent international platform to a documentary that challenges the Israeli military's conduct in Gaza and frames civilian deaths as systemic. Abraham's public statements at Venice amplify claims about the scale of Palestinian journalist deaths and specific child casualties, adding to ongoing international scrutiny and legal/political debates over accountability. The film's call for Israeli audiences to engage could influence domestic discourse at a time of deep polarisation.

Watch For

No specific dates, votes, or diplomatic deadlines are given in the article. Monitor whether NAZA secures wider distribution or screenings in Israel and whether the Israeli government, IDF, or Israeli journalists formally respond to Abraham's claims. Watch for updated casualty figures from the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, the IDF, and independent observers, and for any Venice Film Festival follow-up or awards that may draw further attention to the documentary.