Gaza Documentary NAZA to Stream Free After Global Theatrical Run

NAZA, a documentary examining Israel's military operations in Gaza through testimony from intelligence and military personnel, will be released theatrically in more than 50 countries beginning September 28, 2026, before becoming available free on theguardian.com in late November. The Guardian and mk2 Films announced the global distribution strategy on September 24, following the film's world premiere at the Venice Film Festival on September 10, where it won the Special Jury Prize and received a 25-minute standing ovation—a festival record.

Co-directed by Israeli filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, the 80-minute documentary features anonymized interviews with 24 Israeli military and intelligence personnel discussing targeting practices in Gaza. The film is based on investigative journalism published over three years by The Guardian, +972 Magazine, and Hebrew-language outlet Local Call, including reporting on Israel's use of artificial intelligence systems such as Lavender for identifying targets. According to sources featured in the film, the AI system operates with an estimated error rate of up to 10 percent, and one attack was approved despite knowledge that up to 500 civilians could be killed.

The film's North American premiere occurs September 26 at the New York Film Festival, with U.S. theatrical release beginning September 30 at the IFC Center in New York, expanding to Los Angeles and other markets on October 9. Theatrical distributors have been secured in 56 territories including France, UK, Germany, Spain, Australia, Canada, Brazil, and Japan. The Guardian stated the free online release reflects "worldwide interest" in the documentary and its "commitment to fearless, independent journalism."

The release has generated significant controversy in Israel. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other senior political figures have called for the directors' citizenship to be revoked, with Netanyahu pledging to pursue new laws allowing the state to strip citizenship from those who "smear" Israeli soldiers or "defame" the state. Dozens of right-wing activists gathered outside Szor's parents' home; police were deployed after one protester called for the "death penalty for traitors" and the demolition of the filmmakers' family homes. In response, 43 Israeli human rights organizations issued a joint statement urging authorities to stop what they described as incitement and threats against the directors. Graffiti depicting the directors as "traitors" has appeared in Israeli cities.

Abraham and Szor, who won the Oscar for Best Documentary in 2025 for "No Other Land," stated in a joint response: "We made this film out of a sense of obligation to use our position as Israelis to examine the systems behind the mass killing of Palestinian civilians for which our country is responsible. The threats from the Israeli government to revoke our citizenship and the death threats do not change that and will not stop the film." The documentary is executive produced by Oscar-winning filmmaker Jonathan Glazer and produced by James Wilson of JW Films alongside The Guardian.