Israeli military rejects documentary’s claims of deliberate civilian targeting

The IDF also accused the filmmakers of failing to conduct basic fact-checking and of omitting relevant context.

By David Israel, TPS

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) released a detailed rebuttal on Thursday to a controversial documentary about the war in Gaza, saying the film’s narrative “is based on substantial factual errors resulting from a manipulated and misleading portrayal.”

“NAZA” features anonymous testimonies from 24 Israeli military and intelligence personnel who allege that the IDF uses intelligence systems and artificial intelligence in ways that contribute to the targeting of civilians in Gaza.

The interviewees accuse Israel of violating international law and allege that the military deliberately targets civilians.

The IDF said the documentary misrepresents how it plans and conducts strikes in Gaza.

According to the military, its binding directives distinguish between terrorists and uninvolved civilians, prohibit deliberately targeting civilians, and require commanders to minimize civilian harm.

The military said it has never planned, approved, or carried out a strike in which 500 civilian deaths, or anything close to that number, were expected.

It also rejected claims that artificial intelligence independently selects targets, saying authorized intelligence officers identify potential targets, professional teams plan strikes, and operational commanders make the final decisions.

The IDF denied that its rules establish automatic civilian-casualty thresholds.

It said Lavender, an artificial-intelligence-assisted system, helps intelligence researchers identify and prioritize potential targets but does not independently approve targets.

The military also stressed that evacuation warnings do not authorize attacks regardless of whether civilians remain in an area.

The military said it investigates strike outcomes, including unintended civilian casualties, and has examined hundreds of incidents to identify operational lessons.

The IDF also accused the filmmakers of failing to conduct basic fact-checking and of omitting relevant context.

It said, for example, that the intelligence veterans interviewed in the film discussed only the early stages of the intelligence process, rather than the broader strike-approval procedure involving legal advisers, civilian-harm mitigation specialists, and senior commanders.

The military further criticized the documentary for not addressing the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas massacre or what it described as Hamas’ use of civilian areas for military purposes.

It said the film also omits measures taken to reduce civilian harm, including warnings, weapon selection, and humanitarian assistance.

The IDF disputed the film’s framing of “collateral damage” assessments, saying they are a standard and legally required part of military planning intended to limit civilian harm, rather than evidence of indifference to civilian life.

The term refers to unintended harm to civilians or damage to civilian property resulting from military operations.

The military acknowledged the moral weight of decisions involving civilian harm but said such consequences do not by themselves establish illegality.

It added that it remains open to legitimate criticism and investigates credible allegations of wrongdoing.

The IDF said the filmmakers did not submit their claims for response before the documentary’s release or provide a copy of the film despite requests.

As a result, it said, the military had to respond based on a detailed account provided by someone who attended a public screening.

“NAZA,” whose title is a Hebrew acronym referring to collateral damage, received a Special Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival.

The documentary was directed by Israeli filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor and produced by The Guardian, a British daily newspaper.

The dispute over “NAZA” comes against the backdrop of the Gaza war, which began after Hamas-led terrorists attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing approximately 1,200 people and taking 252 Israelis and foreigners hostage.