Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has attacked an Israeli documentary examining the killing of civilians in Gaza, accusing its filmmakers of fueling what he called global antisemitic incitement.

NAZA, directed by Israeli journalists Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, won the Special Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival on Saturday after receiving a 25-minute standing ovation when it was screened on Thursday.

The film examines Israeli military targeting practices during the war on Gaza and features anonymous testimonies from intelligence officers and soldiers involved in the campaign.

Its title refers to an Israeli military term for expected “collateral casualties,” placing civilian deaths at the center of its examination of how targets were selected and strikes authorized.

Read more: How Israeli rhetoric weaponizes history and faith to justify violence

Netanyahu attacks film exposing Gaza targeting practices

Netanyahu condemned the documentary after its recognition in Venice, objecting to its portrayal of the Israeli military and accusing its creators of joining an international campaign against “Israel.”

“It’s shocking. We are fighting global antisemitic incitement, and when it comes from within us it is intolerable,” Netanyahu said in a video posted on Telegram.

He also attacked the festival audience’s reception of the film, saying the two Israeli directors were portraying the Israeli military as “war criminals.”

The response reflects the Israeli government’s broader effort to reject accusations surrounding the conduct of its war on Gaza, even as the scale of Palestinian civilian suffering has drawn international scrutiny.

Israeli military moves against filmmakers

Israeli occupation military chief Eyal Zamir also rejected the documentary, accusing its creators of deliberately distorting the reality of the war on Gaza.

“Based on what has been published thus far, this is not a film offering criticism of the IDF, nor is it an attempt to establish the truth. It is based on blood libels, deliberate distortions of reality, and grave, false accusations against IDF soldiers and commanders,” Zamir said.

The military said Zamir had instructed the Military Advocate General to examine and advance possible legal measures concerning the film and those involved in producing it.

Abraham, however, defended the documentary during his acceptance speech, arguing that confronting Israeli crimes was necessary to prevent their continuation.

“We believe that the denial of a crime is what helps it persist and this is why it is especially important for us that Israelis watch this film, it is our country that is doing these crimes,” he said.

The subject of Israeli targeting of civilians is not a new issue debuting with the film. The Palestinian Independent Commission for Human Rights submitted a communication at the Human Rights Council in 2015 stating that "Israel" systematically targeted Palestinians, including children, since 1967. 

Documentary confronts Gaza’s civilian toll

The Israeli controversy surrounding NAZA comes after nearly three years of Israeli genocide that has devastated Gaza and left more than 73,000 Palestinians martyred.

The overwhelming majority of those killed have been civilians, while residential areas and vital civilian infrastructure across the Strip have been destroyed.

NAZA turns attention toward the Israeli side of the targeting process, drawing on accounts from people involved in the military campaign to examine how civilian casualties were considered before strikes.

The film’s significance therefore extends beyond a dispute over its portrayal. Its allegations raise questions about the mechanisms through which the destruction of Gaza was planned, authorized and carried out.

Read more: UAE declines to deny warning Netanyahu before Oct 7: Israeli media