Netanyahu demands criminal probe into Israeli soldiers in award-winning doc

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called for a criminal investigation into anonymous sources depicted as Israeli soldiers in a documentary alleging that the country’s military used AI-powered targeting systems to kill civilians in Gaza, according to a letter released by the premier’s office, as cited by The Times of Israel.

NAZA, an 80-minute-long film – the name alludes to an Israeli military shorthand for expected “collateral casualties” – is based on the accounts of anonymous Israeli military and intelligence insiders alleging that the IDF heavily relied on AI systems to identify people and homes for attack on a massive scale, often disregarding collateral civilian casualties. Some insiders described the process as “insanely fun” and akin to a “video game.” Israeli insiders allege in the film that the IDF used an AI system called Lavender to identify assassination targets, relying on data from thousands of hacked phones. Even the phrase “daddy’s home” detected on a child’s phone could reportedly trigger an attack.

The documentary, directed by Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, received a 25-minute standing ovation at the Venice Film Festival and won the Special Jury Prize.

The IDF has rejected the allegations, arguing that the identities of the whistleblowers “cannot be verified” and casting doubt on whether the interviewed sources served in the military at all.

On Monday, Netanyahu called on IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, chief of Israel’s domestic security service David Zini and Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara to launch a criminal probe into the soldiers who appeared anonymously in the documentary over what he described as “serious information security offenses, criminal defamation, and harming Israel’s diplomatic and security interests.” The prime minister stressed that investigators must identify those involved.

According to the letter released by Netanyahu’s office, those involved in the film may have committed criminal offenses, including leaking classified information and breaching security at a highly sensitive intelligence unit.

Immediately after the film premiered at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival on September 10, several senior Israeli politicians condemned its creators. Culture Minister Miki Zohar went as far as accusing the two Oscar-winning directors of treason and threatening to strip them of their Israeli citizenship.

At the time, Netanyahu pledged to seek new legislation giving West Jerusalem the power to strip citizenship from people who smear Israeli soldiers.

The IDF has acknowledged using AI for military purposes, including a system known as The Gospel that rapidly generates targeting recommendations. In April 2024, media reports citing Israeli intelligence sources said Lavender had flagged about 37,000 people as suspected terrorists, with personnel sometimes spending only seconds reviewing its recommendations. Sources cited by The Guardian also alleged that, in the war’s early weeks, the military permitted the killing of 15 to 20 civilians in strikes on low-ranking militants. The IDF has rejected the allegations.