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Israel’s Prime Minister Demands Prosecution of Soldiers Who Exposed AI-Assisted Killings in Gaza
JERUSALEM — In an extraordinary escalation of Israel’s crackdown on dissent, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has demanded criminal prosecution of Israeli military whistleblowers who exposed evidence of systematic civilian killings in Gaza, setting up a dramatic confrontation over free speech, state secrecy, and the accountability of the military’s use of artificial intelligence in warfare.
The move, announced Sunday evening, targets the 24 anonymous Israeli soldiers and intelligence personnel who provided testimony for “NAZA,” an award-winning documentary that has ignited international controversy and domestic fury since its premiere at the Venice Film Festival last month.
Netanyahu demanded an investigation into soldiers featured in NAZA. (Design: Palestine Chronicle)
The Documentary That Shook Israel
“NAZA”, named after the Hebrew military acronym for “collateral damage”, presents what its creators describe as unprecedented testimony from inside Israel’s military machine during its devastating campaign in Gaza. Produced by The Guardian and directed by Israeli journalists Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, the 80-minute film has become a flash point in the global debate over Israel’s conduct in the war.
The documentary features interviews with two dozen members of Israel’s military and intelligence apparatus, including veterans of the elite Unit 8200, the same signals intelligence unit that has been central to Israel’s AI-assisted targeting operations. Their testimony paints a damning picture of a military culture where Palestinian civilian deaths were calculated, normalised, and in some cases, celebrated.
“It’s like a video game because everything is done remotely,” one soldier recounts in the film, describing the AI-driven targeting systems that identified and struck targets in Gaza.
Another witness delivers an even more chilling assessment: the killing of Palestinians in Gaza was “insanely fun.”
These testimonies, combined with documentation of how Israel’s military calculated anticipated civilian casualties, the “naza”, before approving strikes, form the evidentiary backbone of a documentary that has been simultaneously celebrated internationally and vilified by the Israeli government.
Netanyahu’s Escalation
In a letter addressed to IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, Shin Bet director David Zini, and Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara, Netanyahu demanded they “urgently act to discover the identity of all of the people involved in the libellous film and those appearing in it.”
The prime minister called for criminal investigations into alleged “security information offences, criminal defamation, and harm to state and security interests,” and for those involved to be prosecuted.
“The film is riddled with falsehoods, distortions, deception, and manipulation, and makes malicious accusations against the State of Israel and the IDF,” Netanyahu wrote. “It harms Israel’s standing in the world and severely damages Israel’s international standing.”
But critics immediately seized on what they described as a glaring contradiction in Netanyahu’s position. While denouncing the film as “false” and “libellous,” the prime minister simultaneously acknowledged that it “reveals top secret information”, an implicit admission that the testimony contained genuine classified material.
“The contradiction is stunning,” said Dr. Haggai Elitzur, a constitutional law scholar at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. “You cannot simultaneously claim that the soldiers are lying and that they have exposed state secrets. Either their testimony is fabricated, in which case there are no secrets to protect, or it is truthful, in which case the prosecution is about silencing truth, not protecting security.”
NAZA’s directors, Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, won the special jury prize at the Venice film festival last month. Photograph: Capital Pictures/Alamy Stock Photo/Alamy Live News.
The Whistleblowers’ Testimony
The documentary’s central claims strike at the heart of Israel’s military operations in Gaza, which has faced mounting international scrutiny and legal challenges. According to the testimonies, Israel’s military:
Used AI-assisted targeting systems to identify and strike suspected militants in ways that officials knew would kill large numbers of civilians
Systematically disregarded the proportionality requirements of international humanitarian law
Maintained a “general atmosphere” of disregard for Palestinian life
Created an environment where soldiers expressed “hatred” for Palestinians
“According to the reports that have emerged so far, this is not a film criticising the [army] and is not an attempt to ascertain the truth,” IDF Chief Eyal Zamir said last month. “It is based on blood libels, deliberate distortion of reality, and false and serious accusations against soldiers and commanders.”
The Israeli military has categorically rejected the whistleblowers’ testimony, releasing a 17-page rebuttal that accused the filmmakers of presenting a “distorted, misleading and disingenuous” account of military conduct.
“Artificial intelligence has never independently selected targets to strike in the IDF,” the military stated, insisting that authorised intelligence officers identify potential targets, relevant professionals plan strikes, and operational commanders make the final decision on whether to attack.
The Legal Framework Under Attack
Netanyahu’s demand for prosecution comes amid broader efforts by his government to crack down on criticism of the military and to control the narrative surrounding the Gaza war. The prime minister has previously expressed support for legislation that would strip citizenship from individuals who “defame” Israeli soldiers, a proposal that human rights organisations have condemned as fundamentally incompatible with democratic principles.
Israeli Culture and Sports Minister Miki Zohar, a member of Netanyahu’s Likud Party, welcomed the prime minister’s demand, stating: “We must not allow its content to harm IDF soldiers and the state.”
But the implications extend far beyond the film itself. Legal experts warn that the prosecution of whistleblowers, particularly those who exposed potential war crimes, would establish a dangerous precedent.
“This isn’t just about ‘NAZA,'” said Noga Kadman, a researcher at the Israeli human rights organisation B’Tselem. “It’s about whether Israel will allow any accountability for its military actions, or whether it will criminalise anyone who dares to speak the truth about what happened in Gaza.”
The campaign against “NAZA” fits a broader pattern of the Israeli government’s efforts to suppress dissent and control information about its military operations. Since October 7, 2023, Israel has:
Arrested journalists and shut down media outlets critical of its military campaign
Blocked international journalists from accessing Gaza, creating a near-total information blackout
Pressured social media platforms to remove content documenting Palestinian suffering
Attacked the credentials of human rights organisations documenting abuses
Reporters Without Borders has condemned the threats against Abraham and Szor, the filmmakers, who have faced accusations of treason and threats against themselves and their families. The directors have not returned to Israel since the film’s premiere.
“The attacks on these journalists are part of a broader pattern of pressure on the media ahead of the October 27 election,” said a statement from the organisation. “The Israeli government’s efforts to silence criticism of its military operations are a direct assault on press freedom.”
International Fallout
The documentary’s international reception has been starkly different from its domestic treatment. At the Venice Film Festival, “NAZA” received a 25-minute standing ovation and the Special Jury Prize, recognition that has amplified its impact and made it harder for Israeli officials to dismiss.
The United Nations Commission of Inquiry concluded in 2025 that Israel had committed genocide in Gaza, a finding it reiterated this year. While Israel rejects the accusation, the international legal momentum has continued to build, with the International Criminal Court investigating potential war crimes.
“The international community is watching,” said Kenneth Roth, former executive director of Human Rights Watch. “The prosecution of whistleblowers who exposed potential war crimes is itself a violation of international law. It sends a chilling message to anyone who might consider speaking out about military abuses.”
The Election Context
The timing of Netanyahu’s demand is not coincidental. Israel is scheduled to hold elections on October 27, and the prime minister faces mounting political pressure on multiple fronts, including ongoing corruption trials and growing domestic discontent over the war’s conduct.
“Netanyahu is using the film as a political tool,” said Dr. Tamar Hermann, a political scientist at the Israel Democracy Institute. “By attacking ‘NAZA’ and its participants, he is rallying his base, distracting from his legal troubles, and positioning himself as the defender of Israeli soldiers against international criticism.”
The government has even released a counter-documentary intended to discredit the film, an extraordinary use of state resources to combat a journalistic work.
A Dangerous Precedent
The demand to prosecute soldiers who spoke out carries profound implications for democratic governance in Israel and for the future of military accountability worldwide.
“Whistleblowers who expose potential war crimes should be protected, not prosecuted,” said Dinah PoKempner, former general counsel at Human Rights Watch. “The Israeli government’s attempt to criminalise their testimony is a direct attack on the ability of the public to know what is being done in their name.”
Within Israel, the move has deepened divisions over the war and the government’s handling of it. While some Israelis support the crackdown, others see it as a dangerous overreach that threatens democratic values.
“We cannot be a country that prosecutes people for telling the truth,” said one former IDF officer, speaking on condition of anonymity. “If what they said is false, prove it in court. But if it’s true, then we have a much bigger problem than a documentary.”
Conclusion: The Truth Under Attack
As Netanyahu’s campaign against “NAZA” intensifies, the stakes could not be higher. At issue is not merely the fate of 24 anonymous soldiers, but the fundamental question of whether Israel can confront the truth about its military operations, or whether it will criminalise those who dare to speak it and silence any future dissent.
The documentary’s international acclaim stands in stark contrast to the domestic campaign against it, highlighting the gap between how the world sees Israel’s actions in Gaza and how Israeli officials wish those actions to be seen.
“History will judge this moment,” said Yuval Abraham, one of the film’s directors, in a statement. “The question is not whether ‘NAZA’ tells the truth. The question is whether Israel will allow the truth to be told.”
As the election approaches and international pressure builds, Netanyahu’s war on whistleblowers may prove to be his most consequential battle, not for what it achieves, but for what it reveals about the lengths to which his government will go to silence dissent.
Veritas Press Investigative Analysis Independent journalism examining global affairs, power, diplomacy, and accountability.
Source:Veritas Press C.I.C. | Multi-News Agencies
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