NAZA film-makers say they spoke to more than 100 sources about Israeli actions in Gaza

What Happened

The Guardian and film-makers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor defended their documentary NAZA after the Israel Defense Forces issued a statement claiming the film contains “substantial errors” and relied on interviews with two dozen troops who had only a partial picture of the target approval process. The Guardian said its team interviewed more than 100 sources over three years, including senior-ranking commanders directly involved in strike authorisation, and that the 24 on-camera participants were involved in multiple stages of targeting, including intelligence, operations, and final authorisation. The film-makers also said verification included leaked classified documents and corroboration by confidential journalistic sources. The IDF denied approving, planning, or carrying out an attack anticipating 500 civilian casualties for a single Hamas target, acknowledged using automated target-recommendation systems but said final decisions were signed off by officers, and repeated that its rules of engagement prohibit deliberately targeting civilians.

Key Actors

Why It Matters

The contest over NAZA feeds into broader debates about Israeli targeting protocols and civilian casualty ratios in Gaza, where the IDF's claims of minimising civilian harm have been challenged by leaked IDF casualty assessments, the UN's 2024 commission of inquiry, and research by NGOs including Action on Armed Violence. The filmmakers' use of insider military sources and leaked documents, set against the IDF's rebuttal, shapes how the targeting process and alleged tolerance of civilian deaths are understood internationally.

Watch For

Monitor whether the IDF provides specific evidence of “substantial errors” or responds further to the Guardian's claim of senior commander sources; whether Israeli authorities act on Benjamin Netanyahu's call to strip Abraham and Szor's citizenship; and whether the New York Times, Washington Post, or Associated Press issue additional reporting that corroborates or challenges the film's claims about targeting practices and the 500-casualty strike denial.