Documentary alleging Israeli military set civilian death limits to be shown in U.S. theaters

The investigative documentary NAZA, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival, is scheduled to open in U.S. theaters on Sept. 30 at the IFC Center in New York City, with additional screenings in Los Angeles beginning Oct. 9 and a broader rollout planned thereafter. The film relies on interviews with 24 anonymous Israeli intelligence and military personnel who allege that the Israel Defense Forces established acceptable civilian casualty thresholds for operations in Gaza, including a claim that up to 500 Palestinian civilians were permitted to be killed in a single attack. The filmmakers also assert that artificial-intelligence tools were used to select targets in densely populated residential areas. The IDF has denied the allegations, stating that the sources featured in the documentary did not have access to relevant intelligence or military data and that the claims are false. > "We made this film out of a sense of obligation to use our position as Israeli filmmakers and journalists to examine the systems behind the mass killing of Palestinian civilians for which our country is responsible," the directors said in a statement. The documentary will have its North American premiere at the New York Film Festival on Sept. 26. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has publicly criticized the film and suggested legislation that could strip citizenship from its creators, a move viewed by some as linked to the upcoming Israeli elections in late October.