Israel rejects Gaza AI killing film allegations

The Israeli military said Friday it “categorically rejects” allegations in NAZA, an Israeli-made documentary about AI-powered mass killing of civilians in Gaza.

The 80-minute film, by Oscar-winning Israeli filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, uses conversations with 24 Israeli military or intelligence whistleblowers whose identities are protected. It received a 25-minute ovation at its Venice premiere the previous day.

Interviewees in the film, whose voices and faces are digitally altered, describe an AI-powered system called Lavender that they say was used to identify people for assassination. They also describe the destruction of civilian homes, disregard for war and humanitarian law, and what one called a “video game” atmosphere because operations were carried out remotely.

The Israeli military criticised the use of anonymous testimonies, saying the identities of the speakers “cannot be verified”, including whether they served in the military or in what capacity. It said some claims were beyond the knowledge of junior-level soldiers.

The military said decisions on the selection and approval of strikes were made “by human personnel only” and not by artificial intelligence. It said it targets terrorist organisations, including Hamas, in accordance with international law and the laws of armed conflict, and makes efforts to minimise harm to civilians.

Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry says Israel's bombardment has killed at least 73,658 Palestinians since October 2023. The United Nations deems the ministry's figures reliable. The Israeli campaign followed the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel, which killed 1,221 people, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.

The Gaza health ministry says Israeli forces have killed more than 1,350 Palestinians since a US-backed ceasefire was declared in October 2025.