Gaza documentary sparks 'treason' uproar in Israel

Israeli filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor made a documentary, NAZA, that accuses the Israeli army of systematic mass civilian killings in Gaza.

NAZA won the prestigious Special Jury Prize at the Venice International Film Festival, and was met with a 25-minute standing ovation.

Critics in Israel have seen the film as an act of treason and it has prompted calls from the government for a secret-service investigation into the filmmakers and the soldiers who spoke to them.

A documentary revealing how Israel's military has waged a deadly campaign in Gaza has prompted a fierce backlash, with protesters accusing the filmmakers of "treason".

NAZA, by Israeli filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, accuses the Israeli army of systematic mass civilian killings in Gaza.

The film's title comes from an Israeli military acronym derived from the Hebrew term "nezek agavi", or "collateral damage".

It draws on descriptions by unidentified Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers of an AI-assisted system that identifies targets using data gathered from thousands of hacked mobile phones.

NAZA won the prestigious Special Jury Prize at the Venice International Film Festival, and was met with a 25-minute standing ovation.

But despite accolades abroad, critics at home in Israel have seen the film as an act of treason.

It has also prompted calls from the government for a secret-service investigation into both the filmmakers and the soldiers who gave their testimonies.

Not currently publicly available in any country, and kept secret just days before its release at the Venice International Film Festival, the few clips circulating of the film have caused an uproar in Israel.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would promote legislation against the defamation of Israeli soldiers and the State of Israel, which he called the NAZA laws.

"We will revoke citizenship from anyone who defames IDF soldiers in the world, and we will hit them hard in the pocket," he said in a social media post on Wednesday.

Abraham said he and Szor had felt a responsibility as Israelis to use their position and ability to gain confidence and bring "insider testimony into how the system looks like from the inside, the system of killing".