Culture minister urges Shin Bet to probe whether Hamas helped ‘NAZA’ filmmakers

Culture and Sports Minister Miki Zohar asked the Shin Bet security service on Wednesday to open an urgent investigation into whether Hamas had a hand in providing the source material used in the documentary “NAZA,” which alleges that Israel killed civilians in Gaza using AI-powered strikes.

Zohar sent a letter to Shin Bet chief David Zini explaining that the probe is part of his response to the film, which won an award last week at the Venice Film Festival. Zohar has accused the film’s Israeli directors, Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, of treason and called for the revocation of their citizenship, an effort he said the probe was meant to advance.

The film is not yet in wide release and few Israelis have seen it, despite the heated discourse surrounding its claims. Zohar has given no indication that he has seen the full movie.

Zohar asked to examine how the material reached the filmmakers and whether it was disclosed illegally. The film is based on testimony from 24 purported anonymous Israeli military intelligence figures.

Zohar urged examining “who gave the creators the materials they claim they relied on, how they were obtained, whether security, intelligence or operational information was disclosed or used unlawfully, and whether the sources that provided the information or were involved in its transfer were enemy elements or those acting on their behalf, including the Hamas terror organization.”

He also noted a concern that some of the material was distorted or taken out of context to harm Israel’s image.

“The fact that the sources are hidden requires us to clarify whether the source of the materials is indeed Israeli as claimed, or other interested sources, and whether they were used as part of a plot accusing the State of Israel and IDF soldiers of committing war crimes,” he wrote.

The minister stressed that the probe is not about a political position or cinema production, but rather to determine if “criminal or security lines were crossed.”

Zohar’s request came after he called on Tuesday for revoking the citizenship of the two filmmakers, Abraham and Szor. He wrote on X on Wednesday, “We must open a Shin Bet investigation against the filmmakers, to advance the process of revoking citizenship!”

He added, “We will not rest or be silent until all who took part in this travesty face justice and proceedings are opened against them.”

Meanwhile, the Shin Bet has asked the IDF if it intends to open an investigation against those interviewed in the film, the Haaretz newspaper reported. On Monday, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir instructed the military’s top legal official to examine possible legal action against the film and those involved in it.

The Shin Bet inquiry to the IDF was made on Tuesday, and the IDF’s department for information security clarified that, for the time being, no criminal probe has been opened, and no decision has been made on the matter. The department also noted that it does not have the contents of the film, the identities of those who took part, or what they said, making it unclear how to proceed with an investigation. The IDF has requested a screening of the film.

Zamir has asked the IDF’s intelligence department, the IDF military advocate, and the air force to immediately identify who was interviewed in the film, and in particular if they were officers, enlisted soldiers, or reservists, the report said. Officials were said to respond that, as long as officials haven’t seen the film, they can’t look into who was in it.

Also, Military Advocate General Maj. Gen. Itai Ofir reportedly told Zamir that in the absence of security violations or leaks, there is no basis to press criminal charges. However, if it is found that the participants acted against military orders, they can be disciplined within the military framework.

It was unclear from the report when the exchanges took place; Zamir is known to have held a meeting on Monday with top military figures, including the advocate general.

Haaretz reported that there is increasing frustration within the military about how the “NAZA” issue is being handled.

Senior officers were described as feeling Zamir had made a mistake by publicly denouncing the film before having seen it.

Earlier this week, Zamir said in a statement the film “is based on blood libels, deliberate distortion of reality, and false and serious accusations against IDF soldiers and commanders.”

The sources are reportedly worried that the expectations that the army has set, along with the possibility that some of the film’s claims are true, may erode public trust in the military and its commander, Haaretz said.

Israeli military officials have acknowledged that the IDF loosened its rules of engagement in the wake of the October 7, 2023, Hamas onslaught, allowing for strikes that endangered more civilians than had previously been tolerated.

In the days following the surprise Hamas invasion and massacre, then-Air Force chief of staff Maj. Gen. Omer Tishler told reporters that while the IAF was not targeting civilians in the Gaza Strip, Israel’s strikes were no longer “surgical.”

A New York Times investigation published in 2024 said that as the Hamas invasion was ongoing, the military granted mid-ranking officers authority to target low-ranking Hamas fighters and allowed them to risk killing up to 20 civilians in each strike.

The military tightened the rules of engagement again on November 5, 2023, requiring officers to seek special permission to endanger more than 10 civilians when striking low-ranking terror operatives, according to the NYT. By January 2024, nearly all deadly strikes in Gaza reportedly needed special permission, though some continued to receive approvals when the number of civilian casualties rose to double digits.

On Tuesday, Zamir appeared to refer to the movie during a speech he gave at a ceremony for donors to the Association for Israel’s Soldiers, a nonprofit supporting the military, details of which the IDF released on Wednesday.

Though not naming the film, Zamir urged, “We must stand on every stage and against every claim and clearly state: The IDF is the most ethical army in the world. In light of deliberate attacks on our citizens, in light of a barbaric raid targeting a civilian population, in light of rockets launched at city centers, we adhere to the values ​​of the IDF and international law and do everything in our power to avoid harming innocent people.”

“NAZA”, a documentary about Israel’s AI-powered mass killing in Gaza, received a 25-minute ovation at the Venice Film Festival.

It features Israeli intelligence personnel and whistleblowers discussing how Palestinians were targeted.

Al Jazeera’s Dmitry Medvedenko reports. pic.twitter.com/6aGRX8w4Ab

— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) September 11, 2026

Among the film’s allegations is one, featured in a promotional video of the documentary, that the military planned a strike, during the war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, in which 500 civilian deaths had been anticipated. The IDF has denied that claim as “completely false.”

Over 73,000 Palestinians have been killed during Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, which was sparked by Hamas’s October 7, 2023, invasion and massacre of some 1,200 people and the taking of 251 hostages, including children. The Palestinian death toll comes from the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry, which doesn’t differentiate between civilians and combatants.

The Israeli military believes that Hamas’s overall toll is largely accurate, with IDF officials estimating that two to three civilians were killed for every dead terror operative. The IDF says it has killed over 24,000 combatants in Gaza and another 1,200 terrorists inside Israel during the October 7 onslaught. It points to Hamas’s use of the Gazan population as human shields by embedding its fighters and military infrastructure in civilian areas, including homes, schools, mosques and hospitals.