Israeli filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor will make their Gaza documentary 'NAZA' available to stream free online in November, despite senior officials calling for their Israeli citizenship to be revoked over the film, Abraham said on Thursday. Viewers will have access without a time limit, he added.
The announcement followed the film's 10 September premiere at the Venice Film Festival, where it won a special jury prize. Culture Minister Miki Zohar accused the directors of treason and called for them to lose their Israeli citizenship. A cinema release abroad is scheduled for 28 September.
Why 'NAZA' Will Stream Free
Abraham said he, Szor and The Guardian, which produced the documentary, agreed to make it available because of its 'public interest and significance'. He gave no precise date in November or details of where the film would be hosted. Its wider release will first depend on cinemas.
'NAZA' has secured distribution in 56 territories, with its international theatrical rollout beginning on 28 September. The producer said it had approached Israeli distributors and cinemas, while Abraham said the film had been offered to cinemas there free of charge.
'Screening it would be a brave decision in the face of great violence that seeks to bury it,' Abraham wrote in Hebrew on X. The Guardian said it was also exploring ways for people in the occupied Palestinian territories to see the film.
The Testimony Behind 'NAZA'
The documentary builds on Abraham's investigations for +972 Magazine and Local Call. It features interviews with 24 digitally masked Israeli soldiers, mostly intelligence officers, and alleges that the Israel Defense Forces used artificial intelligence in operations that targeted civilians in Gaza. The military denies the allegation.
Abraham said three years of reporting underpin the film. Responding to claims that it overlooks the Hamas-led attack on Israel on 7 October 2023, he said recognising the horrors in Gaza did not lessen responsibility for the massacre. The assault killed some 1,200 people and 251 were taken hostage.
Israel says it tries to minimise civilian deaths and accuses Hamas of fighting from civilian areas. Gaza's Hamas-led health ministry reports more than 73,400 people killed in the ensuing Israeli offensive, without distinguishing between combatants and civilians.
The IDF considers the overall toll largely accurate and estimates two to three civilians were killed per combatant.
Citizenship Threats Shadow Documentary's Release
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he would introduce legislation to revoke the citizenship of Israelis who 'slander the IDF abroad'. That is a proposed measure, not a reported revocation of either filmmaker's citizenship. Israel's military chief, Eyal Zamir, said military lawyers were considering legal action against the directors.
Government supporters protested outside the home of Szor's parents. The Committee to Protect Journalists warned that threats from senior officials could encourage public intimidation and attempts to silence the filmmakers. Abraham said he and Szor would return to Israel despite the threats and continue their work there.
The Venice screening has brought the film attention that Abraham said his earlier reporting did not receive at home. He has urged soldiers who recognise its accounts to speak about what they witnessed. 'Even if it's scary, it's your duty to find the way to attest to what you saw,' he wrote.
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